Ink
by HazelHype
Summary: Beth was tired of her mother controlling her life. Making her feel ashamed of being herself. But in her attempt to escape, she comes across Paul, someone she has something in common with, but for entirely different reasons. Can this tattooed lady help the illustrated seal see that he's perfect to her? Paul/OC. Eventual smut.
1. Chapter 1

She was not born a "freak." But she always felt different. And the day she realized she was different made her both happy and sad. Happy because she finally figured out what she felt was missing. Sad because she could never have it. But Beth Marcozi didn't stay sad for long. Her gift of not feeling pain made it easy for her to become a side-show performer.

She was inspired when her father took her to a circus at the age of nine. There she met with the section where the freaks were on display. Out of all the freaks she had seen, Madam Marisa, the Tattooed Lady, was her favorite. Covered from head to toe with tattoos, the Madam was quick to notice the child staring in awe. She stepped off from the stage and knelt to Beth's level. She extended her arms to show every tattoo on display. The child beamed. She knew that this was a way of self expression, and she told the Madam that when she was older, she'd get tattoos just like her.

Beth's father, Marcus, knew his daughter was destined for greatness. Her mother, Clarissa, however, did not approve of her daughter's fascination with freak shows. "A proper lady does not associate with such riff raff." She would say. But when Beth turned eighteen and got her first tattoo, her mother flipped. Calling her a ruffian, self-mutilating, even trash. But that didn't stop her from continuing to be tattooed.

Her mother did everything she could to keep Beth's tattoos covered. She even forced her to wear long-sleeved dresses in summer. But when her mother tried to set her up with a man, the first question Beth would ask them was, "Do you wanna see my tattoos?" That usually sent them running. It was no secret that her mother was desperate to keep her high status. And the final straw for Beth was Dandy Mott.

Beth and her family had moved to Jupiter in Florida. Her mother claimed it was for a change in scenery. But Beth had her suspicions. And, of course, she was right. They had moved next door to rich woman and her son. The woman, Gloria, seemed to be delusional that Beth and her son would get along famously. Clarissa agreed immediately and said that Beth would go out with her son, Dandy, that very night. Beth, who over heard the whole conversation, finally stood up for herself.

"What makes you think I would go on a date with someone I don't even know?" She demanded.

"He comes from a wealthy family. That's all you need to know." Clarissa said.

Beth ran up to her room, that still remained unpacked, and grabbed her knapsack, filling it with clothes, a small, cordless radio, and whatever money she had in her money jar. Once she was done, she put on a pair of slip ons and marched to the front door. Her father opened it from the other side and jumped when he saw his only daughter barge toward him. She froze and sighed. "I'm really doing it this time, Pa. She crossed the line."

"It couldn't have been that bad, Beth."

"She told the old bat next door that I would love to date her son." Beth countered in a deadpanned voice. "I'm tired of her thinking she controls me."

"Where do you plan to go?"

"I saw signs for a freak show. Maybe I can do something there."

"At least take a sandwich." Marcus pleaded.

Beth knew she could not argue with her father. She decided to go back upstares and change before recieving a sandwich. She swiched out from her custom long-sleeved sun dress and put on one of her father's old tank tops and covered herself with a loose flannel shirt with sleeves rolled up to her elbows. Then she pulled on some shorts that were above her thighs, showing off her legs and tattos. She put her shoes back on again and stepped down stairs to the kitchen, where her father was just finishing her sandwich. "It's turkey." He said.

She took the sandwich and thanked her father before heading to the door. Unfortunately, her mother suddenly blocked her path. "Where is your dress?" She demanded.

"Upstairs. Along with this fantasy of yours." Beth stated as she pushed past her mother.

"If you set one foot outside without covering those horrendous tattoos, I'll-"

"You'll what?" Beth cut off her mother. "Disown me? Go ahead. I don't care. You seem to think that I'm this trained monkey that will do anything you ask. But I've got news for you. You can take that high society look on life that you have and shove it up your tight ass." And with that, Beth marched out the door, leaving her mother flabbergasted.

She walked for hours, following the signs around town. It didn't take long for her to pull out her radio and turn it on to a local music station. Eventually, she was able to find the long road that was decorated with signs to the different attractions of the freakshow. And each left more curious than the last. A little further up the road, she saw some people straightening up the last sign. With her interest piqued, she put her radio back in her bag.

Once she was close enough she saw that the person straightening the sign was a woman. A very tall woman. Two men were standing back to watch her work. "How's it look now?" The woman asked.

"Maybe a little more to the left." The younger man said.

After making the adjustment, she turned back to ask, "How's that?"

"I think it looks great." Beth said from behind them, startling them. Both men were quick to turn, not expecting a young woman to be standing there. But what caught them by surprise was her tattooed legs. Beth was not surprised to see then staring at her legs. Most men did. But most usually gave disgusted looks. These men seem shocked and hypnotized by her ink collection. She turned to the tall woman and asked, "Do they always stare at a random woman's legs?"

"Only if they have as much ink as yours do." She answered back as she walked over. "I'm Eve."

"Beth. Nice to meet you." The young girl smiled. She turned to the men and smirked as she saw that they were still staring at her legs. She waved her hand in their peripheral vision, making them look up at her. "This is usually the part where you introduce yourselves."

"Sorry, love." The older one said with a sheepish grin. "Paul, the Illustrated Seal." He gave a slight bow. Beth had to admit, she was a sucker for English accents. And when Paul spoke, she felt her heart flutter.

"Jimmy Darling, Lobster Boy." The younger one said. He then put on a charming smile. "What brings you all the way out here?"

"Certainly not your failed flirting." Beth said with a smirk, making Eve and Paul laugh. Jimmy chuckled and shrugged, knowing she figured him out. "Actually, I was hoping to find work."

"Well, Elsa's out of town at the moment." Eve said. "But if you're willing to stay until she returns, I'm sure we could figure something out."

"Thank you so much." Beth sighed. "Any ideas of what I could do?"

"The ink should be enough to label you as a tattooed lady. But can you do anything else?" Jimmy asked.

"I can't feel pain." She said. They stared in disbelief. "How else do you think I could handle this much ink?"

"High pain tolerance?" Paul guessed.

"I wish." Beth sighed. "Is that how you got yours?" She asked as she gestured to his tattoos.

"A little more behind it than that, love." He said. He noticed the slight blush on her cheeks as he spoke.

"Is it an'I'll-tell-you-one-day' kind of story?" She asked.

"Something like that." Paul nodded.

"Okay." And she left it like that. Eve then ushered everyone into the car and they all drove back to the camp grounds. Beth had to admit that she like this little community. Everyone was slightly weary of her, but when they saw how kind she was, they were quick to welcome her.

A few individuals certainly made an impression. Ma Petite was certainly one of them. She was the first to compliment Beth's tattoos. "The flowers are beauriful."

"Thank you." Beth said with a big smile.

Meep was another. He was so excited about a new face that he bkt off the head of the chicken he was holding. Beth didn't really like seeing that. But after learning that it was a perfectly normal thing for Meep to do, she decided that she would attempt to get used to it.

Salty and Pepper were the sweetest couple that she'd ever met. Pepper was quick to invite Beth to play with them. The inked woman smiled and said she was tired, but she would play later. They were certainly good people, definitely not deserving of the title "pinheads."

So far, Beth loved the people of the show. She got along with everyone she met. And they really seemed to like her. Especially Jimmy's mother, Ethel. She really liked this fresh face that didn't even think to judge them. "Unfortunately," Ethel said. "We don't have any more trailers. Someone's gonna have to offer room in there's until Elsa can make arrangements for your own."

"I've got the couch in my trailer, Ethel." Paul said. "She can stay with until she gets her own trailer."

Beth was blushing like crazy. She definitely found Paul attractive. But it felt like he was intentionally doing this. Boy, did she not know how right she was.

* * *

Beth had put her bag on Paul's couch and had decided to explore the grounds. She loved how everyone was so nice and caring. And the best part was that no one judged her tattoos. What had deemed her an outsider in normal society had finally been accepted.

She helped Eve prepare for lunch, making sure there were enough plates for eveyone. As she helped everyone get something to eat, she caught Paul stealing glimpses of her. It made her blush and bite her lip to think that Paul found her attractive. But before she could blush herself as red as a tomato, Ma Patit invited her to sit next to her.

Beth happily ate a snack with Ma Petit. The small woman asked questions that were happily answered by the tattooed lady. "Did they hurt?"

"No. But that's because I can't feel pain." Beth answered.

"Will you get more?"

"That's my plan." Beth answered. "But I wanna know about you. What's something you've always wanted to do?"

"Ride a pony." Ma Petit answered with a smile. She then giggled, causing Beth to laugh as well.

Jimmy walked over and smiled as he sat next to them. "What are you lovely ladies talking about?"

"How much my new friend wants to ride a pony." Beth answered.

Jimmy nodded before getting serious. "Listen, Elsa just got back and I told her about you. She seemed to like the idea of a tattooed lady. But she wants to see you for herself."

Beth stood and gave her new little friend a hopeful yet nervous smile. She then let Jimmy lead her to either her future employer or dream crusher.

Elsa had already passed the twins to Ethel before she sat down in her tent. After hearing that woman covered in tattoos was asking for work just suddenly showed up, she had a hard time believing it. But when she saw the young lady walking into her tent after Jimmy, she couldn't believe it. So many tattoos covered this girl's body, making Elsa wonder if she could have this girl as a headline act in burlesque dancing. The idea definitely stuck out in her mind. "So, you are the woman who came to my camp in my absence."

"Yes, ma'am. I had hoped to get a job. If you had one for me." Bwth didn't mean to sound mousey. But the fierce gaze of the manager made withdraw.

Elsa gave a small smile. "My dear, you seemed to have won over the whole camp in a matter of hours. You show kindness to my freaks. Even help with lunch. Someone of your oddity could attract a crowd. But can you do anything?"

"I play piano." She answered. Beth decided to keep her disability a secret for now, not fully trusting Elsa with that information.

"Musically gifted, as well? Certainly a unique specimen. May I ask how you came about my camp?"

Beth sighed before starting. "My family recently moved to Jupiter. My father is an engineer and a brilliant inventor. He took me to my first freakshow when I was a little girl, where I saw a tattooed lady. Seeing her be so free with self expression inspired me. Unfortunately, my mother, a socialite of the highest status, did not like my fascination with tattoos. She nearly had a meltdown when I got my first one. At first, I got them where they could be hidden, but my collection grew and eventually, I started getting them in very noticeable places. My mother then had me wear long-sleeved dresses. Soon enough, she tried to get me to date. I thought it was an insult to pass me on to some man. So, I used my tattoos to scare them off. And today, my mother tried to set me up with some rich boy just because he was wealthy. All my mother wants is to keep her status. But I won't let her use me to achieve it."

Elsa sat calmly as she heard the young girl's story. She understood that she was a victim of circumstances. True,she came from a fortunate life, but that didn't mean she was happy. And what made her happy was what made her a freak. "Mien libchien, I think you are quite fortunate to have found my establishment. You would make an amazing addition to my freak show."

* * *

Beth sat behind the candy striper, Penny, and nipped at her neck, eliciting moans. The situation she was in could only have happened one way.

 _"I need to know if I can trust you. So you need to be part of an experience for the candy striper." Elsa explained._

 _"Why?"_

 _"My newly aquired Siamese twins were taken from the hospital. If they had remained, they would have been poked and prodded. Even tested on like a rat. I took them from that place to save them. I plan to film these acts my freaks will partake in with her and blackmail her for her silence."_

Beth laced the fingers of her right hand in Penny's hair and tilted her head to the side to kiss her neck. She then nibbled her pulse point, causing her to giggle. "That tickles."

All around them, the freaks were partaking in the physical plaesure. And Beth was especially ecstatic when Paul showed up. He was fully naked when he walked in, and was delighted to see Beth as naked as him, embracing the candy striper from behind on the sofa. He became very excited when he knelt before the two women. "Lift your hips, love." Paul whispered huskily at Penny.

Beth pulled Penny's silk slip up her thighs to give Paul a clear view. "Go ahead and sit in his lap."

Penny was hopelessly devoted to the tattooed woman's commands. She lifted her hips high enough for Paul to scoot under her lap. Once she sat on his lap, Beth pulled her into a fierce kiss. She drove her tongue into Penny's mouth, drawing out moans. Paul was instantly excited at the sight of the two women in such a passionate kiss.

Beth looked up and saw that Paul was more than ready. She reached out and gently took his manhood, making him gasp. She then lined him up with Penny. She was really getting into this, especially as she watched Paul drive into the candy stiper. It really excited her to see this wanton creature writhe in plaesure. With each of Paul's thrusts, Penny let out a short, breathy moan. Beth, in her hazed state of mind, reached for the back of Paul's head and pulled him in to kiss him.

Paul closed his eyes as he felt Beth lick his bottom lip. He instinctively opened his mouth to draw in her tongue. Hearing Penny moaning seemed to spur the man on as he drove harder into her. She was certainly loud. Oh, how Paul longed to hear the sounds Beth would make in the same situation. She would more than likely sound like an angel.

The tattooed lady then pulled away and moved Penny to face the camera that Elsa held. "Smile, sweets." She whispered. At those words, Penny's head fell against Beth's shoulder and she arched her back. Whatever Paul just did was apparently the best thing to happen to her. Beth looked up at Paul and saw him smirk at the girl in her lap.

Elsa was satisfied with everything and dismissed her freaks.

* * *

That night, Beth was sitting on Paul's couch, laughing with him as they shared a drink. "So, Jimmy skinned a rabbit for her?"

"Yeah, Ma Petite looked like a little member of an African tribe wearing a lion skin, 'cept with bunny ears on top." Paul chuckled. Beth giggled a little. The illustrated seak then said, "'Nough of us. Tell me about you."

Beth slowed her giggle fit enough to give a lazy smile. "Nothing interesting about me. At least, nothing that compares to your life here. The only talent I've aquired came from forced piano lessons growing up. The most exciting thing to happen to me was when my father took me to a circus as a child. It was fun, but my favorite part was this small freak show they had. Nothing as grand as what's here. Just a few jarred specimens and a live goat with four horns. But there was a woman that I stared at in awe. Madam Marisa, The Tattooed Lady. She had more tattoos than you and me combined."

"Sounds like she really interested you."

"She did, Paul. She did. When I was young, I thought each of those tattoos was a small piece of art on the living canvas of her skin. It's only now that I realise that it wasn't the tattoos, but she, herself, that was the masterpiece." Beth sighed. "It was as if Da Vinci painted her himself, a piece more grand than the Mona Lisa. Each tattoo was just a small part of the whole canvas. And I hope to expand mine." She lazily traced the flowers on her left thigh, looking some what hopeful, not even noticing her drinking companion was staring at her leg. She then turned to Paul and smiled wider. "So, how far do yours extend on you?"

Paul stood and removed his shirt to show her his back. "They go below my waist." He turned back around to find Beth placing her glass on the table and standing up. She walked over and took one of his hands into her own. Paul was confused by this and watched as she examined it.

Beth looked at the tattoos and saw that they were scarred. "Paul, where did you get these done?"

He sighed. "When I came to the states, it was during the depression. There was no work for someone like me. And everyone just gave me a glance and saw a monster. So, I decided to give them one. Some bloke did all of this in one night from his car." He didn't know why he was telling this to Beth. She just seemed like someone easy to talk to.

"He wasn't gentle." Beth said. "He pressed the tattooing gun so hard on your skin that he scarred it. That's why it's raised higher than your unmarked skin." She then looked him in the eye. "Thank God he didn't do your face."

"Yeah, this mug's too good lookin'. Can you imagine this face on a normal body?"

Beth shook her head. "Why? It's perfect for the body it already comes with. It would be horiible for a 'normal' body."

"Why's that?"

"Because then you wouldn't be here with your troupe, your family. I wouldn't have met you." She gently placed her hand on his cheek, pulling his gaze to her. "There's absolutely nothing wrong with you, Paul."


	2. Chapter 2

Paul just stared into Beth's eyes, his own brimming with tears. Never has anyone said such sweet words to him. "How can you say such things?"

"You're human, same as me." Beth said. "You should be given the same respect." She tried to pull him into a hug, but he resisted.

"I've done nothing to earn your affection." He said before taking a seat on the couch.

Beth turned to him, still standing, and said, "My affections are mine to give." She then sat next to him. "If I choose to give them to you, I would hope you'd return them with your own." She pulled him close and hugged him.

Paul just sat there in Beth's arms. He honestly didn't know how to handle this. Any woman like Beth would have completely ignored his very existence. But here she was. Sitting, having a drink, sharing personal stories and holding him close like a long-lost lover. He sighed before sitting up and looking at Beth's eyes. "If God truly exists, then He has sent me an angel." He leaned forwatd and gently kissed her. Paul was even more delighted when he felt her kiss him back.

* * *

Beth woke up snuggled next to Paul on his couch the next morning. Though it was more cramped than her old bed, she very much liked this more. She felt safe and surrounded by him. The feeling of his warm breath behind her and his little arm draped over her side. It was something she never felt before but definitely wanted more of it.

She gently woke Paul up to let him know that it was time to eat breakfast. He smirked and asked, "Can't I have you for breakfast?"

"Only if I can actually eat food first." She giggled. Paul then made growling noises and pretended to bite at Beth's neck, making her shriek with laughter and try to push him away.

The two stumbled out of bed in the clothes they fell asleep in and went to go get breakfast. After grabbing their eggs and slices of ham, they sat with Suzi and conversed casually. Not too long after they started, Bette and Dot, the Siamese twins, came over to meet everyone. Bette seemed rather happy to so many people at once. But Dot's sour demeanor stayed on her face. But the moment Jimmy came up to introduce himself, her crabby expression softened to a sweet smile.

"Bette, Dot. Would you two lovelies like to sit with us?" Beth offered.

"That's mighty kind of you." Bette said.

"But we should head back to bed. We just came out for some air." Dot said. And just like that, the sour puss was back. The twins then went back to their tent to get some more rest.

Beth felt like they needed a little pick-me-up. So after she finished breakfast and washed her plate, She gave Paul a quick kiss on his cheek before walking out to the fields. She missed Jimmy giving Paul a smirk and saying, "You work fast, you sly dog." Causing the illustrated seal to blush furiously.

The young lady reached the field and found some wild flowers. So many different colors and breeds. She smiled at the thought of giving these flowers to the twins. She made sure to pick enough flowers to make two small bouquets and took them back to Paul's trailer and went to her bag, pulling out her hair ribbons. She had noticed how Bette wore a white headband while Dot's was a peach color. She was able to tie ribbons of very similar color around each bouquet to indicate which one belong to which sister.

She then walked into their tent and saw Ethel feeding Bette while Dot still held her sour face. "You doing okay there, Ethel?" She asked.

The bearded lady turned and scoffed. "No. Dot's not lettin' Bette eat her stew."

"Well, how about I help out. Don't you need to get ready for the show? I'll make sure they eat while you get ready." Beth offered.

Ethel sighed in relief. "Thank you, dear. I swear, you're a godsend." She then stood and pointed at Dot. "If I hear word of you givin' this girl a hard time, Imma slap you silly." And with that, she left.

Beth sat on the stool that was previously occupied and handed each twin a bouquet. "I know it's not much, but I figured you could use some brightening up in here."

"Oh, they are lovely!" Bette exclaimed as she smelled her flowers.

Dot's expression softened as she gave a gentle, "Thank you." Before smelling her own. When she pulled them away, she gave a soft smile. "I really miss the smell of flowers."

"If you want, I'll pick more when these die, that way the smell stays fresh." Beth offered.

"I truly appreciate that. Thank you." The sour twin said. She then looked just slightly stern. "Why are you being nice to us?"

"You just looked a little upset and I know flowers always make me feel better." She then smirked. "And a handsome young Jimmy Darling certainly seemed to make you smile." Beth teased.

Dot blushed slightly as Bette giggled. "Is he your man?" Dot asked.

"No, no. Jimmy's not mine. He is cute but my type has almost as much ink as I do?" She chuckled.

"Forgive me for askin'," Bette started. "But why do you have so many tattoos?"

"I love tattoos. Most of the ones you see on me are of my own design. I just had to find an artist willing to put them on a lady." Beth explained. She then lifted the bowl and started to feed the inquisitive twin. "I know it's not easy to drop everything and leave, but if either of you want, you could just find me and we could just talk or enjoy each other's company. But in order for us to spend time together, you both have to eat."

Dot seemed to just settle for what Beth was saying. It did feel nice to have someone to talk to that wasn't her sister. And Beth was a nice girl. So she decided to give in...for now.

* * *

Beth, Paul, Eve, and Jimmy were out in the road, hanging up the new banners that were made for the Siamese twins and the tattooed lady. It was remarkible how quickly Elsa had them made. Eve was trying to straighten out the Twins' banner and the boys were directing. Beth just stood next to them and laughed as she figured out that Jimmy was just making Eve move the banner just to move it.

Paul had some reservations about the twins debuting so soon after their arrival. He had heard how their mother was found murdered. And it made him nervous. Beth could understand it. But there was nothing they could do about it now. She decided to walk a litttle further up the rode to look at the other banners.

Everyone then halted when the four freaks heard a car speeding down the road. Teenage boys out joyriding. As they passed Jimmy and Paul, they threw a glass beer bottle at them, spouting insulting profanities. Eve jumped from the latter to help Paul hold the lobster boy back.

They then froze as they saw the car stop next to Beth further up the road. They couldn't hear what was going on. But they saw Beth turn and face the driver. She stood for a few seconds before quickly bending down to pick some rocks off the ground and start throwing them at the car. The driver sped off, trying to dodge the rock, but failing when one managed to hit one of the teenagers on the back seat.

The three experienced freaks jumped in their car and drove up to Beth, who was breathing deeply and looked like she was ready to kill someone. "What happened?" Eve asked.

"They had the gall to ask how much I would charge to spread my legs for them." She asnswered before turning her back to them and screaming at the wood line. She then turned to the direction the teenagers sped of and shouted, "I only spread my legs for man worthy of going between them!"

"That's show business for ya." Eve commented.

Once they were all back at the fairgrounds, Beth met up with Elsa in the big top. She caught the older woman looking over the film they shot with Penny, smirking at what they had over her. "I still think this is a little harsh." She commented.

"Mien liebchin, she would not care if something like this were to happen to you. In fact, I'd wager that she's laugh, claiming that you deserved it for being a freak." Elsa explained as she turned the projector off.

"That doesn't really make this any better, Elsa." Beth said meekly.

Suddenly, Penny marched in with her underclothes disheveled. "I gotta get the hell outta here! This place is a snake pit! I need to get out of here and back to my life, my family, my church, my people!"

Beth knew she had to play along if she wanted to stay. "She wasn't saying that last night." She chuckled to Elsa, who hummed in agreement.

"My dear, you are confused. You liked being in the company of my monsters. Nein. You _loved_ it." Elsa purred before turning the projector back on to Penny the footage.

The candy striper watched in utter horror as the memories came back. Every little detail was relived in her mind. And when she saw Beth sitting behind her in the footage, she turned sharply at the same girl sitting next to Elsa.

"You giggled every time I'd nibble on your neck, sweets." Beth purred. "Always saying how it tickled."

The sobbing girl soon realized it. "I liked it. I can still feel their hands on me. You sitting behind me." She then sobbed harder.

Elsa then turned the projector off and smirked. "There's nothing to be ashamed of."

"I'm gonna tell everyone that they're depraved monsters! Tell them all about the real freak show that goes on in these tents!" Penny threatened.

Beth hopped over the table and shoved Penny into one of the empty chairs, "You tell a soul, and I'll give you more ink than me. Understand, sweets? Then you'll really see who the monsters in this world are."

"People dream of these kinds of pleasures, my dear. And you've lived them first hand." Elsa explained. "If you truly wish to leave, then by all means. But don't tell anyone about this, or not only will I sic Beth on you, but I'll show everyone this video. Understand?"

Suddenly, Pepper walked in with Ma Petite. "Miss Elsa! Miss Elsa! A chauffeur pulled up in a big car came and bought out the show tonight." Seemed happy about the news and carried Ma Petite back to her tent.

Beth then left to find an outfit that would fit her. Her debut was tonight along side the twins. And she needed to wear an outfit that showed off every drop of ink on her skin. While in the costume tent, she ran into Meep. He would peek his head out from between the clothes and quickly pull back, just like playing peek-a-boo. Beth smiled and would pretend she didn't know where he was and jump in surprise when he'd pop out. Meep enjoyed the reaction, so what harm came from doing so?

When she found a black sheer wrap, she smiled and held it up. "What do you think, Meep? Would this look good on me?"

The geek happily bounced and chanted, "Meep, meep!"

"I thought so, too." She chuckled. She saw a pair of black flats that were her size and picked them up. "Maybe with just a brazier and panties. That way they can see all of my ink." She then left the tent to go to the trailer. She was happy to see Paul was in there and decided to show him what she picked. "Think it's too much?"

"Well, you'd have to put it on for me to see." He teased.

Beth giggle as she placed the wrap on the couch. "You cheeky devil." She then lifted her shirt over her head and wiggled out of her shorts. She smirked as she saw Paul's cheeky grin fall when she pulled the wrap around her shoulders. "How do I look?" She asked.

Paul's expression was soft. "Like an angel." He answered.

Beth's smirk dropped and she blushed. She then looked down and sat on the couch to put her shoes on. First the left, but when she picked up the right, Paul snatched it from her. He then knelt down and held the shoe up. Beth lifted her foot and allowed him to slip her shoe on. Once it was secure, he kissed the top of her foot, but he didn't stop there. He kissed his way up her leg, making her breath get caught in her throat. Paul stopped at her knee and asked, "How do you feel, love?"

"I don't know." Beth answered honestly. "But I don't want it to stop."

Paul pushed her wrap to the side and hooked his fingers to the lining of her panties and pulled them down her legs. God, did he love her legs. They seemed to go on and on for days. And the tattoos that decorated her skin made her into an exotic delicacy that he couldn't wait to sample on his tongue.

Beth was so aroused by these unknown feelings and desires that swirled through her mind that she nearly jumped out of her skin when felt Paul's tongue lick her nether lips. His short hands kept her thighs pushed away as he dove face-first into the prize hidden between them.

She was sweeter than honey and more addictive than any drug he would have dared to try. The sounds she made were just as delicious as she herself. He knew he was doing something right when he felt her fingers comb through his gray hair and pull him closer. He glanced up and saw that her head had been thrown back. He was definitely aroused by the way she was pulling his hair.

The tattooed lady was groaning so loudly that she couldn't believe that no one rushed in to see if she was being attacked. And the moment Paul hit the sweet spot, she arched her back and screamed. That signaled him to keep up his oral assault on that very spot. In all his years with his past lovers, none of them reacted to this action the way Beth did. They either didn't like the idea of his tongue between their legs, or they would pretend to like it just so they could get it over with. But even the one who would pretend didn't lock their fingers in his hair to guide them in the right spot.

The constant licks to Beth's clit made her climax so quickly, it was like the first time she touched herself. The only difference was that while her virgin mind was only exploring what she had never experienced for herself, Paul was a seasoned pro who knew what to do and how to do it. Her whole body went limp on the couch and Paul sat back to admire his work. She had a light sheen of perspiration on her skin and her chest heaved. Her eyes were closed and her legs were still apart from each other. They even twitched slightly. With a slight smirk, he moved to her face and kissed her cheek. "How was that, love?"

Beth opened her eyes and leaned in to snatch Paul's lips. She shoved her tongue past his lips and made her own assault on him. She didn't know if it was this sudden weakness from her orgasm but her head fell back and she gasped for breath. "You have to do that everyday now."

Paul chuckled at this. "For you, anything." He then pecked her lips. "Hopefully, that will loosen you up enough to where you're not too nervous for tonight."

She smiled and replied, "I feel better already." She then stood and pulled her panties back up, feeling ready for her debut.

When the two left the trailer, the sun was setting. They were headed to the big top when they heard a commotion nearby. It had come from Bette and Dot's tent. From what they could see when they got there, Jimmy was in there with the twins and so was another man. A man obviously not welcomed.

They heard the man blame the twin for some local murders as if they did it simply because they were different. Bette's light voice was sobbing while Dot's more aggressive one proclaimed everything to be lies.

"So that's it? Case closed!" Jimmy proclaimed.

"Look at them. They're monsters. Jury's gonna have no problem seein' that." The stranger said.

"Don't call them monsters!" Jimmy growled.

"I call a spade a 'spade'. Now you should get out of my way." The man threatened.

After a moment of silence, Jimmy whistled. Paul gently led Beth in after himself. Unbeknownst to her, Eve and Liz had been there too, listening in. And seemed to have know. Instead of stand solemnly like the others, Beth had rushed over to the twins, on Bette's side, and wrapped her arms around them, trying to give comfort. She kept whispering "It's gonna be okay" over and over again. Bette leaned her head over and seemed to sob harder.

"I can't let you take them." Jimmy said.

The man glanced over at Beth and seemed to realize something. "You're the girl with the family that just moved here. The Marcozi's." He then looked back at the troupe and glared. "Looks like I have to charge you freaks with kidnapping as well."

"They never kidnapped me!" Beth growled.

"Did they tell you say that? You're mother's been lookin' for you for the past two days. Said you were kidnapped by home invaders." The stranger said.

"My mom use to say she loves me, don't mean it's true. She just wants me under her thumb so she can sell me to the highest bidder." Beth explained. "Bet she didn't mention these," She then stood straight to her tattoos. "When the cops asked if I had anything distinguishing on my body."

"Then it's settled." Jimmy interrupted. "You're not taking the twins or Beth from us."

The man faced Jimmy and everyone heard a gun cock. "And whose gonna stop me? You and your miscreants?" Jimmy slowly pulled a razor blade from his back pocket. "Come tomorrow, my boys will come over here and run you out of town. There is no place in Jupiter for freaks."

"DON'T CALL US FREAKS!" Jimmy shouted.

"I'll call you whatever the Hell I want to." He lashed back.

Before Jimmy could do anything, Beth's gentle yet stern voice cut through the tension. "Do you have a warrant?"

Everyone, even the twins, turned to the tattooed lady. "As a matter of fact, I do." The man held up a piece of paper. He then it out for Beth to take.

The moment she took it, she opened it for a split second and closed it with a smirk. "I'm sorry. I don't understand any of this."

"So what?" The stranger asked.

"I need a lawyer present to explain this to me." Beth said in a serious tone. "And since you decided to enter our home with no explanation and without showing us this warrant until after you caused chaos, your department will be hearing from my lawyer and you will be held accountable for, if I'm not mistaken, breaking and entering, holding two young women hostage, threatening us with a lethal weapon, false accusation, and the one my lawyer will personally make sure you rot in jail for, discrimination." She then shoved the warrant back the man, she deduced as a cop. "Now, you will uncuff those girls and until my lawyer arrives, you either leave or buy a ticket. Oh, wait. That's right, we're sold out. So that means you will leave the property."

The cop just stood there, knowing he had been beaten. With a few choice curse words, he uncuffed the twins and stepped back. "You have no idea what kind of trouble you're in, Miss Marcozi."

"This kind of trouble is a lot better than the Hell my mother puts me through. Now, please leave or my lawyer will add another charge." And with that, the cop left. Beth turned to Jimmy and saw his fist clenching the razor, shaking. She gently walked over to him and took the hand that held the razor. She looked into his eyes while he stared hard into hers. "Jimmy, you don't wanna be that type of man." She whispered to him. "Please, give me the razor."

Jimmy slowly released his grip on the blade and made a gasp as if he had been holding his breath. After a few breaths, Jimmy walked over to the twins to help them stand.

"Y'all saved us." Dot whispered.

"And you're gonna save us." Jimmy whispered back.


	3. Chapter 3

Beth knew there was tension as she and the rest of the troupe made their way to the big top. Once inside, they started to make their way around backstage. "Places, everyone." Paul shouted. "Salty! Pepper! Move your asses!" The couple made their way around the front of the stage to get to the other side along with the dwarf man, Toulouse, when the music started.

Ethel took center stage while everyone else took there spot around her. Paul had pulled a cushioned chair for Beth to sit in in a suductive manner. she made sure that her wrap was cascaded behind her hip to reveal her leg.

"Ladies and gentlemen. Everything you heard is true. All that has been advertised is here under this tent." Ethel anounced. A singlespotlight shone on her and she turned around in a grand gesture. "Wonders! Curiosities! A plethora of the strange, the weird, the bizarre, the unusual!" She pointed to the right and the light shined on Paul making waves with his interlocked hands and Beth sitting in the chair giving a seducing glance to the two members of the crowd.

"Through jungles untamed to forests enchanted." Ethel poited to the left and the light landed on Salty and Pepper.

"From the dark continent to the spice-ladened lands of India." The light shone on Eve and she pulled a curtain off of a cage to reveal Ma Petit.

"Astounding mistakes of nature. and they're here for your amusement and education. What you're about to see will astound your very senses, and harrow, yes, harrow your very souls. And tonight, for the first time anywhere, the spectacular Siamese

sisters." The light then shone on the twins. The only male member of the audience had seemed to take an interest in them in that moment. "But amongst the terrifying and the tragic, a voice and beauty. Ladies and gentlemen, from the cabarets of prewar Berlin, the enchantress sway all over nature's mistakes, Elsa Mars."

The light then faded as a piano started playing. The stage had been cleared as Elsa had appeared and started sing "Life On Mars". And if Beth were honest, she thought it was beautiful. She decided to get some water for Elsa when she would finish her number, but stopped when she saw the only make member of the audience trying to talk to the twins. She immidiately panicked when she heard him say, "So, how much?"

Beth jogged over and quickly pulled the cigarette out of Bette's mouth and threw it on the ground. "Those can kill you, Bette." She scorned. She then turned to the man and glared. "I don't know what made you think you could come back here, but those ticket you bought were to see the show, not for backstage passes." She then ushered the twins out to the front of the stage. "Elsa, there's a creep backstage."

"I'm not a creep." He whined as he followed them.

"My son must have been curious to see if there were anymore monster hiding in the back." The older woman defended. "Looks as though he found some." She chuckled rudely.

Beth then smirked. "Yeah, I've been known to bite off a few heads when someone is rude." She chuckled when the older woman's sneer fell.

"Mother, I want them." The man said as he pointed to Bette and Dot.

"My monsters are not prostitutes." Elsa interjected.

"You misunderstand. We don't want to buy them for the night. We want to buy them. Period. Five thousand dollars." The older woman offered.

"For one, maybe. But there are two beauties here." Elsa said.

"Okay, ten thousand!" The young man countered.

"Have you any idea what kind of box office they'll bring in over the next year?" Elsa asked. "They're my headliners. Let's ask them." She then turned to the twins. "Do you think ten thousand is a fair price for you?"

"Fifteen thousand and not a penny more. Unless she grows another head." The two shared a laugh at that.

"We're staying right here." Dot said sternly.

"This is our home." Bette added.

The mother and son seemed shocked at this. But Elsa chuckled. "Darlings, that's just what I wanted hear. I knew it . One night in the spotlight, and you've got the bug. You're one of us." She then turned back to the visitors. "You see? We are a troupe of entertainers. A family. And you will not split up our family." Some members nodded in agreement.

"Come, Dandy. I need a long, hot bath." The woman said. Beth's blood ran cold when she heard the name. "Though nothing will was away the ghastly memory of that infernal catterwalling. By far, the most freakish thing of all tonight was your pathetic attempt at singing."

At the end of that statement, Beth started toward the woman, but Paul came up and put his arms around her and whispered, "She ain't worth it, love." So, she relaxed in his grasp and watched the two leave.

Everyone went their separate ways and Paul and Beth went to their trailer. Paul was relieved that no one got hurt. But Beth was still ranting of about the rude lady. "Who the Hell does she think she is?! I mean, honestly!"

Her rants continued until Paul decided to firmly press his lips against hers to silence. He was happy for the silence, but he knew the moment he pulled away, she would go off on him. Once he pulled away, he saw that Beth seemed to be dazed with her eyes closed. Once she opened her eyes, she looked at Paul and whispered, "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it, love." Paul chuckled. "We're used to being seen as monsters now."

"Doesn't mean that you should." Beth whispered. She then started kissing him again. Both inked humans were so wrapped in their passionate haze that they never saw the clown pass their window.

* * *

A few days had passed with ease. Paul and Beth were more open about their relationship and the twins were more active around the camp. One morning in particular, though, everything was put to a halt when Jimmy was searching the radio for a news station. He got to one and everyone listened. _"The town of Jupiter is at a standstill for a second week as four murders remain unsolved and a child goes missing. Schools stand like mausoleums. Their attendants drastically decline as parents keep their children safely home._ _And we have learned, though this report has not been confirmed, that one of their own, possibly a Jupiter police detective, has, himself, been missing for two days. Reliable sources in the police department have circulated the clarion cry that 'No stone will be left unturned.' The boys in blue are out for blood."_ Jimmy then turned off the radio as a police car had rolled up. Beth ran to Elsa's tent, knowing she had a phone.

"Elsa, can I possibly use your phone?" She asked.

"Yes, darling. Is something wrong?" The boss lady asked.

"The fucking pigs are here to harass us. And my dad has a lawyer who would love a case like this." Beth explained. She found the phone and started dialing an all too familiar number.

 _"Hello?"_

"Hey, Peter. It's Beth."

 _"Baby Beth? Marcus' daughter?"_ Came a laugh over the phone. _"How are you, sweetheart?"_

"Workwise, I've been very fortunate. But, lately, cops have been harassing us."

 _"Why would the cops harass you?"_

"C'mon, Peter. You know there's no justice for freaks in this world."

 _"Freaks? You mean-"_

"Yeah, I'm part of a freakshow now. But some local murders are being put on us because they can't find the real killer. I really need your help Peter. Besides, you know that when you clear us, you could make national headlines."

 _"Not all lawyers are blood-sucking narcissists."_ He chuckled.

"Yeah, but your law firm would love the coverage."

 _"That is very true. How soon do you want me there?"_

"Like five minutes ago."

 _"Be grateful I'm in Orlando. I should be there in few hours."_

"Please, hurry. I'm afraid for our safety, Peter." And with that, Beth hung up. She turned around to leave when she saw two cops in cheap suits standing at the entrance to the tent. "Pardon me." She whispered as she tried to pass by them. She then slipped by. Walking back to her seat to finish her eggs, she spotted another car coming down the dirt road. But this one put a smile on her face. She jumped up and ran to car.

Paul tried to see who was in the car and saw an older gentleman step out. He had to admit he was slightly jealous when he saw Beth hugging the man like her life depended on it. She then all but dragged him over to introduce him to everyone. "Everyone, this is my father, Marcus." Hearing her call the man her father both eased and concerned Paul.

"Nice to know my daughter's being taken care of, especially since those murders started." Marcus said. "And now, their talking about a cop going missing. Now, I don't trust the cops anymore than I can throw them, but that spells trouble for everyone who has problems with them."

"You're not like let civilians who come to see us, Marcus." Eve said.

"How so?" The man asked.

"You talk to us like we're normal." Sue answered.

"I was never under the impression that you weren't." He said. "Raising Beth made me learn back when she was a child that normal isn't real. It's a construct built the powers-that-be to make everyone feel as though they have to live up to a specific standard. If I had lived up to those standards, I would never have invented the lie detector."

"You made the lie detector?" Paul asked.

"If you wanna be technical, yes. My best friend in college, John Larson, was the one who came up with the idea, he simply asked me to build the test rounds. Once we had the basic construct of the detector, I was able to put it together. John wanted full credit, and I told him as long as he compinsated generously for my family, he could have it. That's how I earn my living. I get forty percent of every detector purchased. And since John still calls me to make upgraded versions every year, the value increases."

Beth beamed at her father. This was the man she came from and he was the best part of her family. But then she got to thinking about the worst. "Hey, Dad, where's Mom?"

"She's with her sister." Marcus answered. "She said she needed a break from your drama and decided to go to Orlando yesterday to visit Mildred."

Beth shuddered at the mention of her aunt's name. Mildred was one of the worst people anyone could associate with. She constantly gossiped, spread rumors around, she even accused Marcus of having an incestuous affair with his daughter. Someone like Mildred always caused drama because her own sad, pathetic life was too miserable to live without stirring up trouble for everyone else.

"Well, maybe Peter could call someone to keep an eye on her." She said.

"Why can't Peter, watch her himself?"

"Because I called him this morning and told him we would need a lawyer. The cops are suspicious of us just because we're different. I figured Peter was the best person to call to help us." Beth explained.

"Smart on your part, Littlebit." Her father said. "He may be the only person who fully grasps the situation."

"What would some rich lawyer know about defending people like us?" Eve asked.

Beth giggled. "Yes, Peter is a rich lawyer. But he's a lawyer who understands a lot more than you're giving him credit for."

This confused everyone. But Marcus decided to change the subject. "Since you all have been good by my Beth, how about I treat you all to lunch in town. Where ever you all want to eat." That seemed to lift everyone's spirit. This got the group to think that maybe there was hope for people outside the freakshow. Maybe they could be accepted. Maybe, just maybe.


	4. Chapter 4

It felt good to know her father accepted her friends. While everyone went around to their own business after breakfast, Beth gave her father a tour. As they walked, a car pulling a trailer pulled up to the camp. This confused Beth. Only the cops would show up unannounced and she didn't know any cop who would pull a camper trailer behind their car. A hefty middle aged man came out of the car and went to his camper to let out a black woman who seemed to have a slight attitude. Beth did feel nervous about them. But hopefully, they wouldn't add to the drama. She excused herself from her father to go find Jimmy. He wasn't there when her father arrived and she wanted to invite him with the rest of the troup. She walked into the big top to find him talking to the creep from the night before.

"Listen, I know why you're here. You got a thing for the twins. Look, I don't judge, okay? I get it, you know? You see a piece of tail, you just gotta have it. But us guys, we don't always think with our brains."

"It's not about the twins." Dandy said. "It's about me. I'd like to join the show. I've had an epiphany. I truly believe this is where I belong. I've been ruminating on my life and what I want. This is the perfect place for me."

Jimmy sighed before saying, "Well, unless you got pony legs under those trousers or a double ding dong..."

"No, but I do know the entire Cole Porter canon." Dandy said with a smile.

Jimmy just gave an "are-you-serious" look before taking a breath. "Listen, you ain't the first kid who wants to run away and join the circus. You got dreams of the lights. But trust me. It's nothing like you'd imagine. You wouldn't last one day here."

"You don't know me!" Dandy growled. "What you're looking at, that's not who I am inside. I'm one of you. I'll prove it. Please! Just take a chance on me! You'd be saving my life."

Jimmy abruptly grabbed Dandy's left arm and held it up. "You know what I wouldn't give to have real hands like yours? To be able to touch a girl without scaring her? From where I'm sitting, you got the world on a string. So, you go home to your mansion on the hill, and you thank God for all you got." He then threw the rich boy's arm and said, "Now scram. I gotta sweep a tent."

Dandy marched off in a huff. Beth then stepped up and approached her friend. He turned to her and saw the sadness in her eyes. She had seen everything. She gently took the hand that snatched Dandy's arm and kissed the palm. "I'd take the hands of a hard-working man over the hands of a spoiled rich boy any day of the week." She said with a small smile. "If Paul hadn't swept me off my feet, I'd have you. But I'm in love." She then let go of his hand and looked into his eyes. "Of course, you did catch the eye of our new sour puss."

"Dot? She likes me?" Jimmy asked curiously.

"If it were a snake, it would've bit you 'cause it's right there in front of your face." Beth laughed.

* * *

Beth later met with Desire and was surprised by what made her different. But Beth complimented her, saying she was beautiful, which made the hermaphrodite smile. Soon, a few of the troupe were in the big top, trying to see if the twins could sing. As Dezzy played the piano, Bette proved to be tone deaf.

"Nein! Stop! Halt!" Elsa called out. "You make my teeth ache. You are flat."

"I'm sorry, I'm a little nervous." Bette said.

"A little tone deaf." Dezzy said.

Beth and Marcus sat in to back to listen in on them. "Why aren't you up there, Littlebit?" He asked.

"Because I'm just here for people to stare at, not to sing." She answered.

After they had heard a new voice sing, they turned and saw Dot was the one singing. And her voice was beautiful. But Beth noticed that the air around Elsa seemed to darken. She knew that feeling. Jealousy.

"Ha!" Dell said from off to the side. "Not bad. That'll go over real nice tomorrow."

"What, has the curfew been lifted already?" Elsa asked.

"Ah, Hell no." Dell sighed. "But we're not gonna let that stop us. Three o'clock matinee every day until the curfew's lifted."

"'Matinee'?" Elsa asked.

"That's right." The strongman said. "Folks can come see the show, be home in time for Uncle Miltie."

"Nein." The German woman said. "Nein, no matinees. No. People don't come to see freaks in the heat of the day. They come in the evening. When the darkness moves in and speaks of mystery. The unknown. When logic loosens its vice grip and the imagination comes out to play. Night allows the stars to shine and we come alive." Elsa chuckled darkly. "No. Daytime is for kiddie shows. Clowns and kewpie dolls. Maybe that's what you're used to. But you're in a real freak show now. My freak show!"

The look Dell gave Elsa was intended to do a lot of harm. "Dell?" Dezzy called out. "Listen to the lady. She's your boss now."

"No lady is the boss of me." Dell said.

Jimmy stepped up and put his hand on Dell's shoulder. "Why don't we go outside and calm down, huh?"

Dell shoved Jimmy's hand away like it was poison, causing Dot to gasp. He looked around and sighed. "The Hell with this. I'm gonna go into town. Post some bills. There will be paying asses in these seats tomorrow. Curtain goes up a three." He then walked out angrily. Elsa soon stood and left to go to her tent.

Beth huffed after a few moments, finally letting out her held breath. Jimmy looked back at her and asked, "Hey, Beth, can you sing?"

"Yes, she can." Her father said.

Beth's face flustered hard. She didn't want to sing. But with her father's insistance, She got up on the stage and told Dezzy the song she wanted to sing.

 **Dearest friends, dear gentlemen**  
 **Listen to my song**  
 **Life down here's been hard for you**  
 **Life has made you strong**  
 **Let me lift the mood**  
 **With my attitude**

 **Hey fellas**  
 **The time is right**  
 **Get ready**  
 **Tonight's the night**  
 **Boys, what you're hopin' for will come true**  
 **Let me be good to you**

 **You tough guys**  
 **You're feelin' all alone**  
 **You rough guys**  
 **The best o' you sailors and bums**  
 **All o' my chums**

 **So dream on**  
 **And drink your beer**  
 **Get cozy**  
 **Your baby's here**  
 **You won't be misunderstood**  
 **Let me be good to you**

 **Hey fellas**  
 **I'll take off all my blues**  
 **Hey fellas**  
 **There's nothin' I won't do**  
 **Just for you**

 **So dream on**  
 **And drink your beer**  
 **Get cozy**  
 **Your baby's here**  
 **Hey boys, I'm talkin' to you**

 **Your baby's gonna come through**  
 **Let me be good to you**  
 **Yeah!**

Beth looked up and saw that almost every one of her new friends had entered the tent to see her sing. Even Dot smiled at her voice. Beth sighed in relief happy to be done, but her father clapped harder, wanting her to continue. But Beth knew a way to distract him.

"But, Dad, it's lunchtime. You did promise us lunch today." She said.

"Well, you are right, Littlebit. Go ahead and round up your friends and we'll go head into town." Marcus said.

* * *

Bette and Dot declined going to lunch, knowing they would be stared at. But that didn't stop the rest from wanting to go. Beth, Paul, Jimmy and Toulouse the dwarf piled into Marcus' car while Eve, Suzi, Salty and Pepper rode in the troupe's car. They decided on a diner that Jimmy would frequent when he went on supply runs or to his other job.

They walked in and Jimmy spoke to a waitress behind the counter with her back to them. "Excuse me, Miss?"

"You're back." She said as she turned with a smile. But it fell the moment she saw everyone with him. And they weren't normal.

"Yes, ma'am." Jimmy nodded. "And I brought some friends this time."

All the diner patrons turned to gawk at them. They honestly didn't mind. They made a living at being stared at for their oddities. "W-W-What do you want?" The waitress stuttered.

"Well, this is a diner, ain't it?" Jimmy asked as if it were obvious. "We're hungry. And we want to be served."

"Is there a problem with that?" Beth asked.

Someone from the right of the group suddenly looked up from reading his newspaper that was laying in the table. "Beth?" He wore a large trench coat over his button up.

The tattooed lady quickly turned and gasped. "Peter!" She exclaimed before rushing to hug him. "I was wondering how much longer you'd be." She then turned to her troupe. "Everyone, this is Peter."

Jimmy decided to try and be normal and offered his right hand. "Nice to meet you."

To everyone's surprise, Peter lifted his bare right foot and used it to shake Jimmy's hand. "Pleasure's all mine, son."

Jimmy jumped back from that, making Beth laugh. "Still doing that one?"

"I get a few laughs out of it." He said. He then turned to Jimmy. "My apologies, son. Couldn't very well give you a hand." He then shrugged off his trench coat to reveal that he had no arms. "Lost them at the beginning of the war. Came home feeling all kinds of worthless. So, I put my foot down and decided to use my mind. And now, I'm one of the best lawyers in all of the southeast region of these United States. But if I'd have known you all would have come to town for lunch, I'd have waited."

"Well, then, let's sit down and eat." Beth said. She pulled Peter to sit with her and her friends at the bar. He sat next to Marcus and they conversed over the happenings of the past few months.

"Remember, manners matter. Use your forks, napkins on the lap." Jimmy said. At that, Paul took his boler hat off and set it on the bar like a gentleman. Next to him, Beth unfolded her napkin and placed it gracefully on her lap and gave a polite smile to the waitress in front of her.

At the far end, a man sitting at the end eyed Toulouse. After a few seconds of contemplation, he abruptly stood and left the diner. A lady at the table next to them suddenly spoke. "Excuse me." At first, no one turned to her. But an abrasive "Excuse me!" got Jimmy's attention. "Is there anyplace else you can eat? You're upsetting my daughter."

Beth looked over and saw that the little girl looked more curious than upset. Jimmy seemed to see this too and smiled. "Oh, I'm sure she'd love the show if she saw it. Tell the ticket lady Jimmy sent you."

Beth let a gentle smile be shown and extended her right arm. "You wanna see, sweetling?" But the mother roughly grabbed her daughter's arm and whispered something harsh into her ear. Beth didn't like that. "Ma'am? You could've just told me you didn't want me to show her." She then pulled her arm back and went to look at the menu.

"I think we're ready to order." Jimmy said.

The waitress nervously approached and pulled out her pad of paper and a pen. "What do you want?" She asked rudely.

Jimmy looked at her for a moment before turning when he heard Eve. "A saulsberry steak should hit the spot."

"I'll have the iceberg wedge." Suzi said. "I'm watching my figure."

Paul looked past Beth and saw the plate the man at the end had left. "That actually looks pretty good. I think I'll just have that." And reached over his lover and grabbed the plate. He then placed it down in front of himself and ate.

"Paul?" Jimmy called. But he was ignored. Jimmy sighed and turned to his left. "What are you having, Pepper?"

"Meatloaf! Meatloaf! Meatloaf!" She chanted as Salty nodded vigorously.

Jimmy smiled and said, "Okay, the meatloaf."

The waitress put down her pen and paper and walked up to Paul. "Um, excuse me, that's not yours."

A loud bang was heard and everyone turned to see Dell at the door with an aliuminum pale on the floor by his feet. "Let me guess." He said staring down at Jimmy. "This was your bright idea."

"No, sir." Marcus said as he stood. Dell turned to him. "My daughter is your tattooed lady and I invited her and her friends to have lunch with me toady."

"Well, sorry to tell you this, Pops. But they eat at the camp." Dell responded rudely.

"We're not bothering anybody." Jimmy said, getting the strongman's attention.

"But that's not his food." The waitress interrupted, pointing at Paul's plate. She then reached for it. "I'm gonna have to bus this."

Paul slapped her hand away. She retreated like he hit her with a paddle. And the manager jumped forward. "Hey! Don't you touch this girl!"

"He's trying to eat and she was taking it from him!" Beth defended.

"She's just doing her job!" The manager said to her.

Dell suddenly slapped Paul upside the head and grabbed his neck. "Apologize to the girl." He whispered aggressively into his ear.

Jimmy then shoved Dell. "Hey! What's the problem here? She was just gonna throw it out anyway."

A deadly silence followed as Dell picked up Paul's plate and dumped it in front of Jimmy. "You mean like this?" He mocked.

"I have the right to refuse service!" The manager said. "You people have to leave!"

Customers suddenly rushed out, Pepper was crying for her meatloaf and Dell suddenly jerked Jimmy to his feet. "See what you did? You give these folks a free show, whose gonna wanna buy tickets. Come on, you stupid freaks, let's go." He then turned to head out the door

"Hey, stop calling us 'freaks'! We're people. Just like anybody in this joint." Jimmy said.

Dell suddenly snapped. "I said let's go!" He snarled. He then grabbed Jimmy's arm and dragged him out of the diner. The troupe went to the window and saw Dell beat up Jimmy. Beth couldn't believe this. Once the assault stopped, Beth let a breath she had been holding. She then ran outside and helped Jimmy stand up.

"I can't believe you took that!" She said.

"I had him on the ropes." Jimmy breathed.

Everyone filed out of the diner and decided it was best to head back to the camp. Though her father swore he'd give Dell a piece of his mind, Beth insisted that he go straight home after dropping them off. Marcus only agreed upon his daughter's desperate pleas that he'd go home. Peter, however, stayed and met with Elsa to talk about being the camp's personal attorney. Elsa, of course, graciously accepted.

Beth and Paul prepare for the show in their trailer, not really knowing what to expect. It was still daytime and cars were already filling up the parking lot.

Dell introduced everyone, one by one, showcasing their uniqueness. And when it came to Bette and Dot, the song he had them sing was something not even Beth would song. But watching Paul playing those drums made her smile. She had noticed Jimmy walk off, but she didn't really keep her attention on that when she saw Toulouse do a stage dive into the crowd of young men who swarmed in front of the stage to get a better look at the twins and dance to the song.

Once the song ended, everyone cheered for the twins. Bette seemed a little saddened that the majority of the cheer was for her sister. Dot was beaming with newly found confidence.

* * *

Beth and Paul celebrated their successful matinee together in the trailer that night. Paul was only in his trousers with the suspenders off his shoulders and his wife beater taken off by his lover and tossed carelessly to the side. Beth was straddling his lap in nothing but her panties and her fingers combing through his hair while his mouth attacked her breasts.

God, he couldn't get enoug of this woman. He had nearly dove into the crowd to attack some hormonal teenager who tried to grab her leg, but he was held back by Eve, who kept telling him that Beth could handle herself, and indeed she did when she stomped on that teen boy's hand with her high heel.

Nothing could honestly ruin what they had. And if anything tried, he'd be there to stop it in his tracks.


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning, the camp was visited by the police. And Beth had a sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach. Wrapped in nothing but a black silk robe, she exited her trailer and went to see what the fuss was about. She had seen the cops approach Elsa with a warrant with them. They them asked for Dell's camper and the police searched it.

While cops were searching Dell's trailer, the man in question and Jimmy were getting into a heated argument. Back and forth it went. Jimmy claiming that Dell looked guilty if something and Dell asking why jimmy would think that.

Shortly after, they came out empty-handed. They then began to search the rest of the camp. They search and they searched until one came out of Meep's camper with the missing detective's badge. "Found it, sir." Another dragged a scared Meep out with him.

"Meep!" Beth screeched as she ran up to him. Another officer aggressively shoved her away so hard that she fell to the ground.

Peter came out from his car when he saw this. "Hey!" He shouted. Both he and Paul ran up to Beth. Paul helped her up and Peter stood toe-to-toe with the officer. "Sir, I suggest you keep your hands to yourself and pray that you can find an attorney better than I."

Beth wasn't listening to anything else. All she could hear were her own wails and Meep's whimpering. "Peter!" She sobbed. "We have to go with them!" Her voice was broken. "We have to keep them from hurting Meep!"

"Alright then" Peter sighed. "Get dressed, I'm driving." Beth sobbed as she watched Meep looking out the back window of the police car he was thrown in. Running back to the trailer, she quickly dressed and got in the car with Peter.

It had only taken about ten minutes to get to the police station. But it was the longest ride in Beth's life. Once they parked, she jumped out of the car and stormed inside. "Where is he?!" She yelled. She looked over and saw the very same police officers who arrested Meep sitting behind the front desk and eating some donuts. They looked like the cat that caught the canary.

"Well, if it isn't the Inked Woman." One of them laughed.

"That's Tattooed Lady! And I want Meep out of his cell right now!" Beth demanded.

"He's not in his own cell, sweetheart." Another cop said. "But I can take you back there to see him if you show me a good time with those legs."

"Now I know you, an officer of the law, were not just harassing my client." Peter said as he walked in.

"And so what if we are, stumpy? Who asked for your input?" The snarky cop asked.

"Well, it should concern you. Because I am Peter Jameson." At hearing that, most of the cops froze. "And if you don't release my other client, I will charge every officer involved with the incident with arrest under false pretenses. And if you don't stop harassing the young lady, son, I'll sue you for everything you own, both now and in the future." Some of the cops knew better than to test an attorney as powerful as Peter Jameson. So one finally went to the back and retrieved Meep.

When he was brought to the front office, Beth gasped. Meep was bloodied and had bruises all over his body. She quickly ran up to him and hugged him. "Oh, Meep! What did they do to you?" Poor Meep was trembling and hugging himself. The other men, who were bigger and stronger than him, had beaten and tortured the poor creature. "Why does he look like this?" Beth asked the officer who brought him out.

"The arresting officers put him in a holding cell with other people." He answered.

Beth was furious at these cops. Meep didn't belong here and they threw him the worst part of it. Soon, a man in a suit walked in. Beth didn't care what his name was. She didn't care who he worked for. Before he could even open his mouth, Beth said, "He is not a killer! He can only pick up object as heavy as twenty-pounds. And the heaviest thing I've seen him carry alive was a rooster. So he could never kidnap those kids. All he does is bite off chicken heads."

"Then how do you explain the badge we found under his bed?" He asked.

"Meep likes shiny things. I've seen him pick up shiny candy wrappers and get excited. Whose to say he didn't find it while on one of his walks? All I know is it isn't possible for Meep to kill or kidnap anyone. He's too kind to hurt anyone. Unless they have a beak and feathers." She explained.

After many long and grueling hours of going back and forth, the cops finally realized that they had no evidence against Meep and knew that they had to let him go. Beth gently led her geek out of the police department and helped him into the back seat of Peter's car. "You'll be fine, Meep. We're going home." She said softly.

Peter was kind enough was kind enough to stop at a gas station and offer to buy his two passengers some Dr. Peppers. Beth gladly accepted on behalf of both of them. About five minutes later, Peter came out with three ice-cold bottles of pop being carried by the store clerk. He opened the first two for the people in the back seat and finally opened the last one for Peter. He then pulled out a striped straw from his apron and put it in the bottle. As the young clerk went back to get Peter his change, the lawyer said, "Keep the change, son."

"But, sir. That's a three dollar tip." The boy said.

"And you earned it. You respectfully agreed to help me and didn't complain about anything. You didn't give any rude comments about any of us who would be labeled by normal society as 'freaks'. You, young man, are a prime example of what today's youth needs to be: respectful. So, as a reward, you can keep the change." Peter explained

The young man smiled and went back in with a huge smile on his face. When Peter got back in his car, he started engine and used his right foot to press the pedals and his left knee to steer the wheel. Beth leaned over from the back with a smirk and said, "You really made that kid's day."

"Yes, well, I've learned that positive reinforcement can benefit more than discipline." Peter said with a smile. "He then looked at Meep through the rearview mirror. "How's our guest?"

Beth looked at Meep, who was slowly sipping his soda pop with a smile on his face. "Pretty good since he's got that Dr. Pepper to nurse off of."

The rest of the ride was silent. Beth started to think about the way Jimmy and Dell argued with each other. Something happened that involved a dead detective. She felt like Meep had been framed. One thing was certain with Beth: she was going to get to the bottom of this when they got back to the camp.

* * *

By the time they made it back to camp, Meep had finally finished his soda. He then let out a small burp to which Beth giggled upon hearing. Peter had opted to pull up at the front entrance, but Beth decided to have him let them out in the parking lot so they could get some exorcise. Peter agreed only because he told her he would watch with the head lights on so they could see where they were going.

Beth and Meep made it safely to the front, but once they got there, they saw Jimmy stumbling out in a drunk stupor with his mother following with a worried look on her face. Jimmy fell to his knees in front of them letting out a scream of anguish. He couldn't protect Meep, making him feel weak and useless. But these strangers, different just like his own mismashed family, seemed to come to their friend's rescue. His scream attracted the attention of the other freaks.

"Ethel, can you take Meep and get him cleaned up? I wanna talk to Jimmy about something." Beth said. Ethel did as was request and took the little guy to her trailer to get his wounds cleaned up.

Beth grabbed Lobster Boy's arm and dragged him into the big top. With the curtain closed, she turned to Jimmy and smacked him across the face as hard as she could. "What did you do?!" She demanded. "Those cops didn't get an anonymous tip from just anyone. And what happened between you and Dell this morning? You seemed very sure of yourself when the cops searched his trailer."

"I killed him." Jimmy grumbled.

Beth paused at that news. "Who did you kill?"

"That detective. The one who that badge belonged to. The one that tried to arrest the twins." Jimmy explained.

It all suddenly made sense. "You hid the badge in Dell's trailer." She sighed. "And he hid it in Meep's." She added. "I will deal with him and you later." She said as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"You're not mad?" Jimmy asked.

"Oh, I am plenty mad. But I'm also tired, I feel like I'm out of breath from all the stress I went through, and I just want to lay down and sleep with my man. Bright and early, while you're still nursing the hangover you'll definitely have in the morning, I'll torture you then. But, for now, Meep is getting medical attention, I'm finally home and all I want is to wrap my arms around Paul and lay on our bed." And with that, she left Jimmy to his own thoughts.

Beth went in search of her man and found him among the rest of the camp crowded around Ethel's caravan to see Meep being cleaned up. She walked up to him and wrapped her arms around him. Paul laid his head on top of hers and could feel her let out a breath. "Well, you've had an eventful day, haven't you?"

She let out a tired laugh. "Yeah. But right now, I just wanna curl up in bed with you nestled next to me." Paul chuckled, liking the idea lying down next to his woman.

* * *

A/N: $3 in today's time would have been almost $23 back in '53. If only the value of a dollar was that much now, huh?


	6. Chapter 6

The whole troupe was in the big top having a feast and celebrating. Paul was having a grand time watching some of the others bobbing for apples. After seeing the twins turn down the chance to get an apple, he turned to Beth. "Come on, love. I know you can snatch an apple with that mouth!"

Beth laughed and decided to have a go at it. She quickly pulled her hair back and dunked for an apple. But try as she might, she was unable to catch an apple. She pulled up and gasped with a laugh. "Looks like there are some things I can't do." Meep walked up with a towel and handed to her. Ever since the incident with the police, he had been sticking by Beth's side like a magnet. The only time she ever seemed to have away from him was when she went to bed with Paul.

Suddenly, Dot shouted, "STOP! STOP IT! What is wrong with you all?!" After a moment of silence, she continued to rant. "Can't you see how much pain Jimmy's in? This is wrong! We shouldn't be acting a fool when we need to practice and work hard for the show today."

"Show?" Paul questioned.

"It's Halloween." Eve said.

"No freak performs on Halloween." Ethel said walking in from outside. "Any idiot knows that."

"That's not fair. They didn't know the old superstition." Jimmy said in the twins' defense.

"It's not a superstition." Ethel said back. "It's true."

"What is?" Bette asked.

"Why we don't perform on Halloween. On accounts of Edward Mordrake." Eve explained.

"Who?" The sweet twin asked.

"Edward Mordrake." Ethel said. "Aristocrat who lived in the middle of the eighteen hundreds. He was heired all kinds of titles. Could've been a duke or a lord or some shit if things had been different. Things are never different. An Englishman of noble birth, Edward was a young man with fine attainments. He was a scholar. He was a poet. Musician of rare ability."

"So what was wrong with him?" Dot asked.

"He had another face on the back of his head." The bearded lady explained. "Hideous as a devil. No one else could hear what it said, but it whispered to Edward incessantly Of things only spoken of in Hell. He tried to kill it. Many times in many ways. But it wouldn't die."

"So what happened to him?" Dot asked.

"He went mad." Ethel said. "His family had him committed to the crazy house at Bedlam. Truth be told, they were only too happy to have the family freak banished from sight. In the crazy house, he wrote poetry. Worked on an unfinished opera. Anything to keep his mind off the demon whisperings. But he never got any relief. It was telling him to do thing. Commanding him. He felt hopeless. That is, until Bethany Simon started working there."

"Who's that?" Beth asked curiously.

"She was a nurse. She saw how the patients were being treated and did everything she could to make it all right. But the day Edward laid eyes on her, the evil voice of the demon was silenced. She was the most beautiful woman he ever saw. He did all he could to show her that she cured his ailment. He wrote plays that Shakespeare would have envied. He wrote her a piece he played on the piano. He often referred to her as his Angel. He was in love with her."

"Did she know?" Bette asked.

"Yes. And she fell in love with the man who was kind to her and wrote the play and the music. She loved Edward fiercely. So much so that she wanted to help him escape. But one day, she ran the fingers of her left hand through his hair and the monster bit one of her fingers off, the ring finger to be exact. Her screams horrified Edward. Realizing that the demon would even hurt his Angel just to torment him, Edward escaped that very night. He left without telling Bethany."

"Did she ever see him again?" Beth asked.

"I heard she tried to search for him. But Lord knows what happened to her. Poor girl went missing years later." Ethel sad.

"What happened to Edward?" Dot asked.

"He ended up where we all do. At the freak show. They billed him as the Two Faced Prince. And he'd show off all the refined skills he'd learned as the scion of one of England's grand families. And then he'd take a bow."

"And he was happy?" Dot asked. "He'd found a home with others like himself."

"There was no one like Edward." Ethel said grimly. "But he wasn't happy. One Halloween night, Edward snapped. He murdered every freak in the troupe. And then he hung himself. Legend has it that even in death, the demon face was smiling."

"So, we don't perform on Halloween night out of respect?" Bette asked.

"Out of fear, darling." Paul corrected. "If any freak performs on Halloween, they summon the spirit of Edward Mordrake and his demon half-face."

"Once he appears, he never leaves alone. That whispering face will choose one more freak to take with him back to Hell." Ethel finished before taking a gulp of wine.

"What a bunch of bunk!" Jimmy exclaimed. "What are you tryin' to scare them for?"

"It's not bunk. It's true." Ethel countered. "I can swear to it. In '32, when I was with Barnum, they made us perform on Halloween. Well, something visited the circus grounds that night, 'cause the next morning, Clyde Hendershot, the astounding human cannonball, all three feet, four inches of him, was found hanging in his caravan. His head twisted clean around. His dead eyes staring backwards. A smile on his face. Just like Edward Mordrake's second face." She then lifted her glass back up to take another gulp but Jimmy was having none of it and slammed it on the table with a glare.

"Enough." He seethed.

Ethel just took the glass back and gulped the last bit of alcohol all the while staring at her son. When she put the glass back down, she stood and walked away. Jimmy followed and they proceeded to bicker back and forth. Beth paid no min to it and stepped a little closer to Paul. The air seemed to thicken with awkwardness after Ethel and Jimmy argued.

Later on, a car came by and dropped off a young blond girl. Beth didn't really know why a girl with no freakish quality would come by here. She carried a suitcase and a large purse. Jimmy led her to Elsa's tent, and when he came back, Beth came up and asked, "Who was that?"

"Fortune teller." Jimmy answered.

Beth started to chuckle. "Okay. All of us having something physical for people to gawk at, I can understand. But a fortune teller? C'mon, Jimmy. Don't tell me you don't smell something fishy here."

"She ain't no gypsy, but she seems like the real deal to me." He answered.

Beth let out a sigh. She knew there was no convincing Jimmy anything different when got a look at a pretty face. But she did start to feel bad for Dot. The girl was totally smitten with him and here he had his eyes on a girl who seemed totally normal. This would crush poor Dot. She decided to leave Jimmy to his thoughts on the girl and went to the costume tent. She already had plans for the night and no phony fortune teller would ruin them. She found a black burlesque outfit that she wanted to wear for Paul and surprise him with tonight. While he was out finishing his supper, she changed into the outfit and wrapped herself in a black silk robe. She was very happy.

Paul walked in and saw his lover sitting seductively on his couch. She gave him a sultry look that told him everything she planned to do to him. She then stood and walked up to him. "Tonight, I'm gonna make you scream my name." She whispered as she untied her robe. Letting the robe fall, she enjoyed seeing Paul speechless as he stared. But there hazed bliss was interrupted when someone knocked on their door. Paul turned to the door a bit annoyed while Beth was quick to robe herself. When Paul opened the door, Beth heard Eve outside say, "Elsa wants us on stage."

This confused Beth. "Why would Elsa want you guys on stage on Halloween?"

"I don't know, love. But I hope it's not the obvious answer." Paul said before kissing her cheek and leaving for the big top. Beth decided to change and go to the big top herself to see what was going on. As she neared the tent, she could hear music.

 **In the land of Gods and monsters**  
 **I was an angel**  
 **Living in the garden of evil**  
 **Screwed up, scared, doing anything that I needed**  
 **Shining like a fiery beacon**

Beth entered the big top and stared at the stage and couldn't believe what she saw. Elsa had Eve, Paul and a few of the dwarves playing music while she sang.

 **You got that medicine I need**  
 **Fame, liquor, love, give it to me slowly**  
 **Put your hands on my waist, do it softly**  
 **Me and God, we don't get along so now I sing**

The tattooed lady neared the stage slowly with a few tears falling from her eyes. As much as she loved listening to Elsa sing, she knew this was a bad omen for the troupe.

 **No one's gonna take my soul away**  
 **I'm living like Jim Morrison**  
 **Headed towards a messed up holiday**  
 **Motel sprees, sprees and I'm singing**  
 **'Oh yeah, give it to me this is heaven, what I truly want'**  
 **It's innocence lost**  
 **Innocence lost**

She continued to cry, silently praying for Elsa to stop performing. But she soon noticed Elsa's gaze fixed behind her. Beth dared not turn around, afraid of what she would see.

 **When you talk it's like a movie and you're making me crazy**  
 **'Cause life imitates art**  
 **If I get a little prettier can I be your baby?**  
 **You tell me, "life isn't that hard"**

Elsa looked back and forth between what she had her sight set on at the back of the tent and Beth. And she had this confused look on her face. But she never faltered from her song.

 **No one's gonna take my soul away**  
 **I'm living like Jim Morrison**  
 **Headed towards a messed up holiday**  
 **Motel sprees, sprees and I'm singing**  
 **'Oh yeah, give it to me this is heaven, what I truly want'**  
 **It's innocence lost**  
 **Innocence lost**

Beth felt like someone was staring at her from behind. She was too scared to even attempt to turn around. That is until she heard what felt like a whisper behind her right ear: "My Angel." She quickly turned and saw nothing. Nothing but a thick fog flowing on the floor.

She quickly climbed the stares to the stage and went to Paul. "Can we go back to the trailer? I don't wanna be out here." She said nervously.

Paul quickly stood and followed his young lover back to his trailer, never noticing the angry glare from Elsa. As they entered the trailer, began to search for a wife beater to sleep in. Even Paul understood. After having been made to perform on the one holiday they knew to never perform on, even he just wanted to curl up on his couch and sleep till morning. Once they were both stripped down to just a shirt and their underwear, they curled up together on the couch and held each other close. "Can I do anything else to help, Beth?"

She let a few tears fall before answering, "Just hold me close and don't let go until morning. That way I know you're still with me." She answered as she pulled closer to her.


	7. Chapter 7

**I had wanted to split this one in half because it was so long. But I couldn't find a good spot to break it. So, It's just gonna be one long chapter.**

* * *

Paul had woken up feeling the need to get a drink. He managed to slowly unravel himself out from Beth's arms to go to his favorite bottle on the counter nd getting a cup from the cabinet. But the sight of the glowing green fog on his floor made him back with a shaky breath. And the voice he heard speaking to him made him shake to his very core.

"Poor freakish thing, there is no escape. Not until all questions have been answered. By you, and by all upon whom I would call. For I have been summoned to this place. Driven, like Percival, to find the thing most rare. Though the grail I seek is one of flesh, corrupted. Diseased. Perfect in its monstrous imperfection. Before the night is through, I will find my grail. One more pure freak to add to our unhappy number. Now...tell me, dear one, how did you come to be here?"

"That's easy, isn't it? I was born." Paul grumbled after pouring himself a glass of whiskey. He took a swig before sitting on the couch, hoping to block Beth from Edward's line of sight.

"As all men must be." Edward commented.

"Only I weren't like all other men. In our street, that was a problem." Paul explained. "Lads learned early on how to scrap. Only I couldn't get close enough to scrap back, not with these." He lifted his left to show emphasis on what he saw as a problem.

"A sad story, but common. You do not amuse, boy. Make me weep tears of sorrow for you. Lay bare your greatest shame." The ghost demanded.

"My whole life is shame. My only escape was in the dark. I could lose myself in it. There I was transported. I wanted nothing more than to come to this land of opulence and glamour. But hen I arrived, it was the depression. The country's...and mine." Paul explained.

"The darkest moment, boy." Edward pushed. "We would have it."

"I was tired of being laughed at, of being attacked, of being called 'Seal Boy.' The world hated me. But no more than I hated myself. They wanted a monster? I decided to give them one." Paul said as he finished his drink. "I could never make the world love me. Maybe I could make it fear me."

"Why not the face?" Edward asked.

"I thought about it. But at the last minute, I chickened out." Paul admitted, his voice starting to break with emotion.

"Why?" The ghost pushed.

"'Cause I have a handsome face." Paul said as he finally started sobbing. "I have the face of a pretty lad. Can you imagine this mug on a normal body. I could've ruled the world."

Edward seemed to think hard before looking Paul in the eye. "You claim your life to be shame. Yet there is one on the seat behind you who has brought light into your dark world." He then stood and said, "You are not the one. There is another, my children, another visit I must make." But just before he could leave, movement behind Paul caught his eye.

Beth slowly sat up and turned to Edward. A look of familiarity was on her face. She stood and stepped toward him in front of Paul. "Edward?" She asked with a slight British accent. It was then that Paul noticed that normal brown eyes were a bright green color. He was scared, but not for his own life. He was fearful of losing the one woman he truly felt love for.

Mordrake's eyes widened in disbelief. "Is it truly you, my Angel?"

She stood there looking at him without any fear. "I searched for you everyday of my life. Hoping to see the man I fell in love with again." She lifted her right hand and cupped his cheek. "I know you are still suffering. Please release them. Those poor souls don't deserve to suffer as you do."

"I must continue, for it is my curse." He explained.

Beth seemed saddened by this, but she continued on. "Then, you will take me with you."

Edward was shocked by this statement. "No, my Angel. You are pure perfection. Someone like you could never go with a freak like me to Hell."

"My dearest Edward. You were never in Hell. Your purgatory was that of your own doing, much like the evil was that of the demon face. It was in your mind. For so long, I have watched over you, protected you from real demons that would drag you to Hell for your sins. My faith in you was what has always protected you." She explained.

Beth then fell to the floor. Paul was quick at her side. "Beth!" He exclaimed in a whisper. "Beth, darling!"

"She is fine." He heard. Looking up, he saw what looked like Beth but with no tattoos, bright green eyes and curly blond hair. She was dressed in a mid eighteen hundreds floor-length black dress. "I needed a vessel. And she was so willing to help my Edward find peace that she allowed me to use her body." She then turned to Edward. "If you truly must continue, then I will be by your side until we both perish." And with that, they both vanished.

"Paul?" Was whispered. The Illustrated Seal looked down and saw that Beth was waking up. "What happened?"

He breathed for a moment before saying, "Nothing, love. Just a really bad dream." He then helped her sit up and held as close as possible before sobbing in relief. Tonight, he had realized that he loved the woman in his arms. And come Hell or high water, he was never letting her go.

* * *

In Elsa's tent, she looked at her reflection and saw two people looking her. One was the gentlemen who saw her performance. The other was blond woman who looked strikingly familiar. But she just couldn't place it. "Maestro? Willkommen." Elsa greeted.

"I hope we're not disturbing you, Fraulein." He said.

"Oh, not at all." Elsa tutted. "I have been expecting you. Although it was rather rude of you to run off like that after my number. Perhaps you needed to collect yourself." She was blatantly ignoring the blond girl and giving the Maestro her sole attention. "I imagine you don't see such authentic talent very often."

The stranger led the new woman by the hand to one of the benches before looking back at Elsa. "May we sit?" Then both he and his companion sat down together.

Elsa turned and smiled. "It would be better over there." She said gesturing to her bed. "We have business to discuss. And you wouldn't be the first young man to show up expecting a lesson in love."

Edward could not believe the blatant disrespect for Bethany this woman had. And to show how uninterested he was to her advances, he held his hand out for Bethany to help her stand and led her to the bed. She sat down first and leaned into the man she loved as he sat down next to her.

"Are you going to say something about my number?" Elsa asked. "I've been trying out some new phrasing, though it is a challenge for an artist like myself to work with such run-of-the-mill accompaniment." She then started to pour a drink for Edward. "I suppose I should consider myself lucky that there is at least one freak on the circuit who knows how to read music." She then handed the glass to Edward. But she was slightly surprised to see him hand the drink to the blond girl next to him. She decided to pour him another glass and quickly passed it to him as she continued. "They are not known for their culture. Which is something we should discuss. I'm going to need a new arranger if I am to develop a contemporary nightclub act." She then pulled out a cigarette and lit it. With a slight smirk, she asked, "Cat got your tongue? My talent has been known to render men speechless, but you'll have to get over it if we are going to work together."

After a few moments, Edward put his glass down along with Bethany before saying, "It is not your talent that renders me speechless. It is your delusional ignorance."

"Excuse me?" Elsa asked.

Edward stood up while Bethany remained siting on the end of the bed. "You are a tattered waste of oxygen who bolsters herself with contempt for others." He said in a loud voice. "I am not here to take you on to greatness, woman. I am here to take someone with me to the other side, perhaps you considering how you blatantly ignored the love of my life residing on your very bed."

Elsa looked pissed. "Get out of my tent!" She demanded. "This is not amusing." She then walked around to see the face on the back of his head, but she did not believe it to be real. "Whoever it is under that mask, you've come to the wrong tent for your silly little Halloween prank."

Edward turned with a glare as Bethany stood to step to his side. "This is no prank, my lovely." He then stepped up to her, causing her to back up to her bed.

Suddenly, Elsa was grabbed by the ghosts of past freaks and held down on her bed. "No! No! I am their guardian! I'm their minder! I'm not one of them! I'm not! Don't!" They ripped off her prosthetic legs as she squirmed and struggled. "I don't understand." She whimpered pitifully. "I am not one of them."

"Oh, I understand." Edward stated as he stepped forward. "There is nothing more craven than a freak like yourself. Someone who would pretend to be the benevolent zookeeper, but she is nothing but a pernicious, diseased animal herself." He then wiped away one of her many tears. "Now...tell meal about your darkest hour."

After taking a few deep breaths, Elsa asked for her legs back, which Edward granted. "Thank you for these." She sighed. "I prefer to be upright when I'm entertaining a handsome stranger, at least when we start."

"I am no longer tempted by sins of the flesh when the love of my life is here with me. You attempt to do so again, I will kill you just to do so, not to add you to my own freak show. And you cannot play on my appetites for mercy. He is in charge now." Edward stated. "He feeds off pain, regret, the delicious moment when hope is lost, the sweet bleeding of a broken heart."

"Do you want to hear about Marlene?" Elsa then asked.

"He wants your misery." The ghost said. "He wants the true darkness."

Elsa sighed before starting. "Berlin, 1932. It was said you could get the blowjob of your life for an American nickel. It was sexual chaos. All of the pain and humiliation of Germany's surrender, the anger...before there was Hitler to channel it into another war, the citizens of Germany expressed their misery with their cocks. Any deviance you could imagine, you could have. Animals, scat, amputees, hunchbacks...and in the darkest corner of it all, I found myself." She lit a cigarette and took a few puffs before continuing. "I was unable to find work on the stage, starving. But even in that world, I was a star. I was a minette, a French cat. I worked only at the top hotels. But I wasn't like the rest of those whores. I never let my clients touch me, let alone put their filth inside of me." She took a few more drags from her cigarette. "I gained a reputation for being the one you went to when you were looking for something...creative."

"How so?" Edward asked.

"No one puts on a show better than I do. And in time, I began to attract clients. And an audience. I called them the Watchers. I never new their names, but they paid well, and never in marks." She smudged out the butt and sat next to Edward and Bethany. "You trade away your humanity trick by trick. In the end, I wasn't Elsa. I was nothing. A ghost. Like the two of you." She then lit another cigarette.

While Bethany was sympathetic, Edward was not pleased. "I came all this way to hear your story."

"I told you it." Elsa said.

"Not the worst of it." Edward countered. "Tell me about your legs."

Elsa sighed before taking a long drag. "My ambition was my downfall. The watchers made blue movies. And I was their top seller. They said that I made men ejaculate gold. But this one was different. Their was no costar. Usually there was a boy or girl, a streetwalker or runaway. But there was just me. And I'd been drugged. Enough to be powerless but not enough to forget. Not enough to not understand. Not enough to dull the pain." Another drag before turning to the ghost couple. "Snuff films, they call them." She paused, looking scared for a brief moment. "They told me I was one of the lucky ones. They just left me there to die."

"Who saved you?" Bethany asked.

Elsa looked at her before answering with a shuddering breath. "The soldier boy. He had fallen in love with his whore. He followed me everywhere. He rushed in the minute they left. I will never forgive him for it. They passed the film around. Berlin, Munich. I hear a copy even made it to Vienna." She shook her head in shame. "I was a star. But my career was over. It was all over for me." She looked at Bethany and took her hands, silently seeking empathy. "I had the most...beautiful legs."

Edward looked concerned for a moment before the demon voice said, "She is the one."

Elsa looked at Edward and knew her fate was sealed. "Yes. I am the one. Take me, please. I know now. I can't deny it. Please. There is nothing left for me. It's all over."

Edward withdrew a small dagger and asked, "Are you ready?"

"Yes." Elsa whispered. "Yes, yes, I am ready. I am ready. Take me. Please. Take me." When Edward remained still, Elsa grew more erratic. "Take me! What are you waiting for?! Please! Go on. Please take me!"

Just as he was about to stab her, Edward heard a music box. "Do you hear music?" He asked as he looked around. He then sheathed his dagger and left.

Bethany took Elsa's hands and said, "For the record, you are beautiful. With or without your legs." She then stood and followed Edward, leaving Elsa alone with troubling thoughts.

* * *

Edward led his love and his freak show through the woods and happened upon an abandoned bus. Someone was living out here. They walked inside the bus and saw a clown wearing a plastic grin over his mouth. What ever the clown was doing, he had stopped when he felt like he was being watched and turned to find Edward and Bethany staring at him. "Don't stop now." Edward said. "We came for a show."

Bethany held out her hand to the clown and waited for him to take it. When he did, she led him outside and to a tree stump for him to sit on. "Please remove your mask." She requested.

At first, he just sat there, unwilling to do so. That was when Edward spoke. "If you are asked a second time, I fear it will be less polite. Remove your mask." The clown looked down them slowly took his mask off. When he lifted his head, they saw that his lower jaw was missing, leaving a bloody, gapping hole. All that was heard were broken groans and grunts. "Tell me your story." Even more grunts were made but Edward raised his hand to silence him. "Calm yourself. Focus your mind and we will understand you. Begin at the beginning."

The clown took a breath before starting. "It was 1943."

"Ah." Edward sighed. "The world in flames. People were in need of clowns and laughter."

"I was the special children's clown to Rusty Westchester's Traveling Carnival. I made 'em laugh. I love the children. But not the freaks. They're mean." The poor clown whimpered sadly. He explained how the dwarves spread rumors about him touching children inappropriately.

Edward handed the clown a handkerchief for his tears. "Never cared for dwarves. Power mad, the lot of them. So they drove you out."

"Word...travels around in the carny circuit. I couldn't...be a clown anymore. So, I came home to Jupiter. But Mama had died. I had an idea. I would turn the garbage into gold." He let out a light chuckle with that small statement. "Like Rumpelstiltskin." But then he got sad again. "I thought 'I'm so dumb...I can't even kill myself.' But then, then I had one good idea."

"It's a sad tale, isn't it?" Edward asked. "A pitiful one. So noble. So misunderstood. Tell me about the children."

"I saved 'em." The clown said.

"From what did you save them, my wonder?" Edward asked.

"From the freaks!" The clown shouted. "The evil, mean freaks!" He took a breath before continuing. "The children forgot that they loved me. The freaks were stealing 'em, just like before. I knew what I had to do. I had to get 'em back. I made a funny show for 'em. Their parents were mean. I gave 'em candy. I didn't make 'em do any chores. I got a pretty babysitter for 'em. I'm a good clown."

Bethany could see everything Edward saw when the clown told his story. She cupped the poor thing's cheek and let him weep against her hand. Edward was listening to his second face before turning back to the clown. "I have met many a craven killer, many a sniveling coward in my time, but every one of them could admit the blackness in their own hearts when the hour came. You...have caused the demon...to weep."

"I don't understand." The clown said. Bethany looked sad as she withdrew her hand.

"Stand up, clown!" Edward demanded.

The clown did as he was told. Edward then turned around so the demon face could speak. "You are the one."

Suddenly, Edward turned around and stabbed the clown multiple times. once the slaughter was finished, the ghosts of past freak gathered around and circled the body. After a few moments of silence, Edward extended a hand and said, "Come, brother. Join us."

The clown slowly rose from the ground with a renewed face. He looked around and saw that the others were putting their hands on him. Not in a threatening manner, but a comforting one. They all then turned and left the encampment. But before she took a step, Bethany turned toward the bus and looked at the window, looking Jimmy right in the eye as he was spying on the whole scene.

Jimmy ducked, trying to stay hidden from the blond woman. When he felt as though the coast was clear, he looked back and saw that everyone was gone.

* * *

The next morning, Beth woke up next to Paul, who still had his short arms around her. She gently shook him until he stirred awake. Upon opening his eyes, he smiled at the sight of Beth. "I'm glad to see you." He whispered.

"I'm glad to see you, as well." She returned. She gently kissed him before standing and wrapping a robe around herself. "Let's go get breakfast."

The couple left the trailer and went to the dining tent. Everyone seemed to be shaken up, but otherwise alright. Jimmy rode up on his bike with the fortune teller behind him. She got off and headed for her own trailer before Elsa walked up to him. Beth didn't catch anything exchanged between them, but the sound of car engines caught he attention. A whole mess of cars were driving up and parking in the parking lot. More than Beth had ever seen at the came ground. "They finally come to run us out." Elsa said.

The troupe walked to the front of the big top, all fearing that the whole town was going to chase them away. Many people walked up to the tent. What confused some of them was that some of the people were carrying dishes of food. "You Jimmy?" One man asked.

"What do you and the rest of this mob want?" Elsa asked.

"We wanted to thank you." He answered. He then looked at Jimmy.

"You saved our son." The man's wife said.

"You saved our town." The man added. before extending his right hand. "I wanna shake your hand."

Jimmy slowly walked forward and shook the mans hand. The little girl next to him held out a plate of baked goods. "Homemade brownies. I only had one."

That made Jimmy smile before taking the plate. "Thank you." He told her.

The little girl looked at Desire and Beth who were standing next to each other. Both were smiling at her. "Are you real ladies?"

The mother seemed offended my her daughter's question. But Beth and Desire laughed. "Oh, that's okay, darling." The older freak said. "I'm a lady...and then some."

Beth smirked and said, "Last time I checked, I was a real lady." That made the little girl slightly giggle.

The towns people all walked up and offered baked goods, little gifts and hand shakes to the everyone in the troupe. No one felt rejected. Elsa was able to stand at the high steps and get everyone's attention. "Ladies and gentlemen! One and all. We would like to invite you to our grand command performance tonight. Here in our big top. Tickets are available over there at the box office." The crowd cheered over the news and dispersed to buy tickets.

Beth went to Paul and hugged him tightly. "It's a miracle." She said with a few tears in her eyes.

Paul smiled and kissed her before saying, "I love you."

She was shocked at first, but she then smiled and pressed her forehead to his and said, "I love you, too." Before giving him a kiss.


	8. Chapter 8

A few days had passed and the show had been very successful. Thanks to Jimmy being haled a hero by the town, people started seeing the troupe in a new light. But one member of the troupe was never really around to soak up the lime light with the rest. Beth had noticed that after every show, Toulouse, the dwarf, would sneak off to God knows where. But he always came back much happier than when he left. So she had put two and two together and figured out that he had been seeing a woman. She was happy the little guy was seeing someone, and she had hoped to meet the mystery woman one day. Until then, she'd let him have the benefit of the doubt until he was ready to tell them.

On this particular night, however, things were turned upside down. Paul and Beth were heading for the big top when they heard Jimmy screaming for help from Dell's trailer. And they weren't the only ones. Eve, with long legs, was able to run faster than every one else to get to them. Jimmy had carried Desire outside, screaming that she had needed help. Sure enough, blood was dripping from in between her legs. Poor Pepper kept screaming, "Blood!"

"We need a car. I gotta get her to a hospital!" Jimmy yelled.

Thankfully, Ethel was there to keep order. "All of you, in your places. Now!" She turned to Jimmy. "Where's Dell?"

"He's not here." Jimmy answered.

Beth ran and helped Desire stand more evenly on one side while Jimmy continued to hold up the other. They then led her to a car. Beth had opened the back door and helped Desire get in. Once she had a seatbelt on, the tattooed lady ran to the other side and got in. Ethel got the keys to the car and got in the drivers seat. "Go on and get on that stage." She told her son. "Folks are here to see ya." She then started to car and rolled down the window. "We'll handle this."

Beth rolled down her window to yell to Paul, "I'll help them. Just go on without me, okay?" She never heard the answer as Ethel suddenly high-tailed it out of there. Beth turned back to Desire and saw her hyperventilating. She was having a panic attack. "Dezzy. Look at me." She said. The hermaphrodite turned to the young lady and looked at her. "Try taking slow breaths." Desire nodded and tried to do as she was told. Soon enough, her breathing was normal and she was able to sit upright.

When they finally got to the doctor, Beth let Desire lean on her as they walked inside. The doctor had led then into the examination room and gave themprivacy to change. While Ethel helped her change into a gown, Beth was writing down Desire's information on a sheet of paper. "When were you born?"

"August 12, 1910." She answered. She pulled the collar of the gown up higher to hide her cleavage.

"What?" Ethel asked as she tied the strings in the back. "All of a sudden now your modest?"

Desire sighed. "Well, I ain't never been to no doctor before."

The doctor then knocked on the door. "Are you ready for me?"

"Just get up on the table." Ethel whispered before turning to the door. She then grabbed a sheet and draped it over Desire's lap. "Yeah, she'd ready."

The doctor walked in and Ethel and Beth going to head to the lobby. "Wait!" Desire exclaimed. ""You two leaving?"

Beth and Ethel realized that they should stay. they closed the door and walked back to their friend's side. "We'll stay if ya like." Ethel said.

"Vaginal bleeding." The doctor read aloud from the form Beth had filled out. "Do you have regular menses?"

Desire was confused by the medical term. But Beth knew what he was talking about. "Do you bleed once a month, Dezzy?"

She scoffed at the thought. "Once a month? Oh, God, no. Maybe a couple times a year. But this isn't that. Tonight I was fooling around with Jimmy. Lobster Boy. I think he pierced a hole right through me."

"Let's take a look, shall we?" The doctor asked.

Desire slightly panicked, but Ethel settled her fears. "It's okay. He's gonna take a look. Lie down." She did as asked of her. "Let the man take a look at you." Though she was still shaken up, Desire did everything she could to keep calm. Once her legs were in the stirrups, the doctor went in. She gasped loudly and all but crushed Beth's hand with her iron grip. "Just try to relax your belly." Ethel said in a calm voice.

"Where were you born?" The doctor asked while examining her.

"Philadelphia. The midwife smacked me on my ass and said, 'Congratulations, Mary, you finally got you a boy.' My mother was over the moon." Desire explained as her grip loosened. "She named me Derek, after her father, who was a baseball player. Thought maybe I'd follow in his footsteps." She let out a sigh and shook her head slowly. "But that all changed when I turned twelve and started growing these." She said as she placed her left hand over her chest.

"Well..." The doctor said as he finished his examination.

Desire let goof Beth and sat upright. "Okay, Doc. Don't sugarcoat it."

"Well, the midwife was wrong. You're not a boy, you never were." He explained. "You probably have an excess of testosterone. Your body got confused and produced more estrogen to compensate, which may account for your accessory breast."

"What about my ding-a-ling?" Desire asked bluntly.

"Um, that is not a penis. That is an enlarged clitoris, which I can surgically reduce if it bothers you." He said. "But either way, physically and genetically, you are one hundred percent woman." Desire looked as though she had come to a realization and was now in deep thought. "Now, the bleeding that you experienced, that was a miscarriage, and I'm sorry to say that it was about twelve weeks. Now, there was no sign of injury, but the baby was just not viable."

Desire seemed to come out of a trance at the mention of that. "The baby?"

"If you wait a few months, you and your husband can try again. But now I must be blunt. At your age, I wouldn't wait too long." The doctor explained.

After a few seconds, Desire's only words were, "I could have a baby with Dell." The look on Ethel's face was not an encouraging one. But the thought of a baby suddenly scared Beth. She and Paul were not being careful when they were intimate. Could she possibly be pregnant?

The doctor got up and went to his office, Beth followed him. "May I set up an appointment?" She asked.

"Certainly. What for?" He asked.

"I'd like to know if I'm pregnant." She answered.

* * *

Once they got back to the camp, the show was long over. Beth helped Desire back to her trailer. "Come get me if you need anything." She told her. She the left for her own. When she walked in, she saw Paul sitting on the couch with a glass of whiskey. "What happened?"

Paul sighed. "Elsa bombed." He took a swig of his whiskey before putting his glass on the table. "The crowd was completely evil."

"Oh no." Beth groaned. She walked over and sat next to him. She leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed. "Paul, I have a doctor's appointment next week and I want you to come with me."

"Why? Is Desire's condition contagious?" He asked.

"No. But, this does involve you, as well. If the result I get back is positive, you need to be there with me." She explained.

"Well, what could you possibly have?" He asked.

"Paul, what if I'm pregnant?" She finally asked. The look on his face would normally make her laugh. But circumstances forbid her from feeling a sense of humor. "I mean, we haven't exactly been careful."

He sighed. "No, we haven't." He then heard her start to sniffle and looked up to see a few tears roll down her cheeks. He scooted closer and pulled her to him. "Hey, hey, what's this?"

"What if I _am_ pregnant?" She asked.

"Well, would it really be so bad to have a baby?" He asked.

"Paul, we just started this relationship. How can we have a baby so soon?" She stressed. He let out a sigh before reaching for his glass, but Beth pushed away from his reach. "Paul, I do love you. But I can't be a mother."

"Why?!" He suddenly snapped. "Why can't you? Didn't you think that maybe I wanted to be a father?"

"You're not the one who will have to bear it. I am! For nine long, agonizing months, my stomach will grow huge and I won't be able to perform onstage! But you, you'll be able to play those drums and show everyone what makes you different!"

"Oh, get off it, Beth! You're only thinking about yourself!" Paul yelled.

Beth was shocked. She then silently stood up and walked to the door. But before leaving, she turned to Paul. "You've met my father. You know I come from a wealthy home. I left that to come here." She opened the door and said, "I left what normal people would call a dream life, Paul. And my memories with my own mother were never pleasant, so I have no idea on how to even be one. I finally have my own life. And you want me to use it to raise another? Talk about being selfish." She then walked out and slammed the door in anger. Paul sat on the couch in a slightly drunken stupor, not sure how to react to what had just occurred.

Beth made her way to Meep's trailer, knowing that he would let her stay with him. Along the way, she thought about how it would be nice to be a mother, but there was sound reason as to why she couldn't have children. Slowed her pace to look down at her stomach. There was a spot, just above her right hip where the skin was sunken in just slightly. No one would be able see it because of he tattoo that covered it, but it was no longer than two inches and was pencil thin.

She remembered very clearly when mother tried to kill her in her sleep while her father was away on a business trip. She was fifteen and sound asleep after she and her mother had yet another argument. She left her mother down stairs to her bitter thoughts. Once she was asleep, Clarissa quietly entered the room with a butchers knife she got from the kitchen and was prepared to use it. For a few moments, she stood next the bed, looking down a her daughter. After taking a breath, she said, "No longer will you defy your mother." She then raised the knife and plunged it into her daughter's stomach.

Beth screamed at the pain. When she saw her mother next to her holding what it was that was hurting her, her eyes widened. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. suddenly, they heard a car horn in the front yard. "DADDY!" She screamed. But Clarissa covered her mouth and told her to shut up. She then pulled the knife out and ran out of the room. She screamed in pain before passing out.

When Beth woke up, she was in a hospital bed. In her groggy state, she looked around the room and saw her father asleep in the chair next to her bed. After a few seconds, she called to him. Marcus woke up and quickly went to his daughter's side crying his eyes out. It was later on that Beth found out her mother lied to her father, claiming that a burglar came into the house and stabbed Beth because she saw him in her room. She couldn't tell anyone any different because Clarissa threatened to kill Marcus, should she tell anyone what really happened.

For many months, Beth went to therapy and doctor offices. None of them helped her emotionally. But the worst blow was during a regular visit to change her bandages, the doctor came in with grim news. "Beth, I'm sorry. The damage is far to severe. If you were to ever have children, it would kill you."

Beth began crying, not knowing what to say except, "Why?"

"The knife pierced your uterus and damaged it. Not enough for us to remove it, but enough to make childbirth extremely difficult. You must never become pregnant."

Those words echoed in her mind. For so long, she never even thought of sex with anyone. Then Paul comes around and flipped her world upside down.

* * *

The next morning, Beth walked out of Meep's trailer to go eat breakfast. She noticed Paul wasn't up yet. She knew she had to tell him. But when she found him, he avoided her gaze and kept his head low. She walked up to him but stopped when she smelled perfume around him. And not just any perfume. It was Elsa's. She knew it was Elsa's because she could smell it on the woman every time she walked by.

Paul looked up and saw the heartbreak. He witnessed the tears and felt even worse. He had gone to Elsa after he finished the whole bottle of whiskey. One thing led to another. And the next thing he knew, he woke up next to a sleeping Elsa instead of his beloved Beth.

She turned and ran back to the trailer in a sobbing mess. She burst in and grabbed everything that was hers, having the intension of moving in with someone else, but she stopped when she saw the empty whiskey bottle. It was over half full before she left for Meep's trailer. She sat down on the couch and started sobbing even harder. She heard the door open and saw Paul come in.

The moment he saw her crying, his heart shattered. "I'm sorry." He said.

Beth sniffled a little bit before holding up the bottle. "Yeah, well, so am I." She then put it back on the table. "Sit down." He did and didn't say a word as he let her talk. "It's not that I don't want children, Paul. I do, someday. But, I can't."

"Why? Why can't you have children?" He asked softly.

Beth stood take her shorts off. She then lifted her shirt over her head. Beth then turned and took Paul's closest hand in her own and held it to her right hip. "Do you feel it?" She asked as she ran his fingers over her scar. He nodded and she continued. "Ten years ago, when I was just fifteen, my mother stabbed me." Paul immediately looked up at her face. "She told my father and everyone else that a burglar tried to kill me after I saw him in my room. The damage to my womb was very bad. If I were pregnant, Paul, childbirth would kill me."

"I'm so sorry, love. If I had known-"

"But you didn't...because I never told you." She then sat next to Paul. "Was it your intent to sleep with Elsa?"

"No. I went to go get more whiskey. She had been smoking her stash and I was so piss drunk that it just happened." He then pulled her close. "I'd take it back if I could."

"No need. I forgive you if you forgive me." She said.

Paul couldn't help but chuckle. "We're like a couple of love sick teenagers." He then sighed. "You make me feel like when I was young. Before life stole my innocence." Beth smiled and cuddled closer to him, wanting to be wrapped in his warmth. Paul then asked, "What's your favorite perfume, love?"

She thought it was an odd question, but answered. "One that my grandmother gave me when I was younger. I think it was 'Venetian Romance' if I remember correctly."

"Now I know what to get you for Christmas." He sighed.

"You don't have to get me anything, Paul. Just being with you is perfect." Beth said before pulling herself closer to him.

* * *

Two days had passed and a lot had happened. The twins up and left, Toulouse was more absent, and Elsa's birthday week was coming up. For her gift, Beth had drawn a picture of a poster. It had Elsa standing in a spotlight wearing her blue suit and above her were what were supposed to be flashing lights that read "The Elsa Mars Hour". Ever sense that Richard guy came, Elsa had been more into becoming a television star. So, Beth decided to draw what she thought could be an advertising poster for her show. Even though Elsa slept with Paul, she forgave her. Though Elsa wasn't really acting as though she were at fault with anything.

Another thing that had happened was that Clarissa returned from Orlando and dragged Mildred with her. And, of course, the rumors were starting the moment she arrived. Beth had gone to the store that day and noticed people trying to avoid her. She then went to the drug store to buy some makeup for the show, but the store clerk refused to help her. "I don't serve your kind."

"My kind?"

"Someone who whores herself out to those freaks." He blatantly stated while there other customers close enough to hear.

Beth left in tears. She had never been so insulted. And she knew exactly how it all started. She marched to her parents home and banged on the door. Her father answered and saw the anger so clearly written on her face. "Where is she?" She demanded.

"I don't-"

"You know where she is, Daddy." Beth said.

With a sigh, he stepped aside. The backyard." He answered. "What happened?"

"Everyone in town is calling me a whore!" She seethed as she walked to the backyard. Sure enough, there they were. Clarissa and Mildred were sitting together under the parasol, drinking tea and chatting. Beth marched right up behind Mildred, grabbed her by her hair and flung her to the ground, making both her and her chair fall backwards to the ground.

"Oh, my God!" Clarissa screamed.

Beth then knelt down next to her aunt and grabbed her hair again, lifting her head up to have her look at her. "Not even here for a day and you spread rumors!" Beth growled.

"She told nothing that wasn't true!" Clarissa said.

"Spare me, Mother!" She yelled behind her. "You and this bitch only ever lie to gain attention." She then let her aunt go and stood to face her mother. "And what's funny is that I use to believe that she was the worse one. But thinking back, Gran was right. You're the one she should have drowned."

"What are you talking about, Beth?" Marcus asked.

"You ever wonder why Mother never went to see me in the hospital when I was stabbed. Ever wonder why when I would cry from the pain that she'd never comfort me? She's the one who stabbed me!" Beth screamed while pointing at her mother.

"N-no." Marcus said in a stutter. "She's the one who called the police."

"And I'm sure she wasn't crying when they interviewed her, right? And I'm sure she just fawned over the attention she was receiving. Face it, Daddy. You married a sociopath and got another as a sister-in-law."

"Now, see here!" Mildred said as she finally stood up.

"No, you see here, Mildred. Gran made sure you two never got in her will for a reason. And I'll be damned if I let you ruin my reputation just because your sad, pathetic life is so boring that you need to find entertainment in hurting others. To put simple enough for even you to understand, if you mess with me or any of my friends, in any way, shape or form, I will hold you down and tattoo your whole body myself."

"You-you-you can't treat family like this!" Clarissa yelled.

"Last I checked, Gran banished Mildred from our family and said she do the same to you if you ever associated yourself with her again. And guess who's coming over next week?" Beth asked cheekily.

Clarissa reached for Marcus, wanting the only support she thought she could get. But he pulled himself away and growled, "I want a divorce. I'm making sure Peter handles all of this. And you have until the end of the day to get your things and leave."

The younger of the two sisters suddenly burst into tears. Her perfect life was now in shambles.

Marcus was all but glad to find a reason to leave his retched wife, but he never wanted it to be at the expense of his daughter. He offered to drive his daughter home and she accepted. Once they got to the camp, she thanked her father and left. The past few days had been Hell. All she could hope for were better days ahead.


	9. Chapter 9

It came time for Elsa's birthday week. Each member of the troupe fell in a line and were made to give their gift to her. Ethel was first, of course. And she had impressed Elsa. "Oh, Ethel." She cooed. "Oh, you have outdone yourself."

"They say all the movie stars use Westmore." The bearded lady explained.

"Yes." Elsa nodded.

"You got to have the best on your big trip out to Hollywood." Ethel said.

The line continued with Beth being next with a rolled up poster. "It took me some time, but I think you'll like it." She unrolled the poster to reveal the big surprise.

It was a light shining down on a stage with a singing Elsa with the worlds "The Elsa Mars Hour" written at the top like flashing lights. Elsa was very pleased. Considering that Beth drew her own tattoos, this was a master piece. "I may make this my official poster." She said with a smile.

Paul wound up not giving Elsa the gift he had originally planned. After all, back then, he was still single and sleeping with the woman. But ever since he and Beth decided to be together, he swore off trying to sleep with his former lover. Or rather, he was her lover. He knew deep down that she never cared for him as nothing but one of her attractions at the freak show.

Eve came up next with a big box and set it in front of Elsa. "Eve, what could this be?" She lifted up the lid and gasped in delight at the sight of Ma Petit wrapped in a crocheted bag, leaving only her head exposed.

"I will keep you warm, Miss Elsa." Ma Petit said with a big grin.

Elsa giggled in delight as she picked the tiny girl up from the box. "Oh, liebchen! Liebchen, liebchen, liebchen. Oh, my very own hot water bottle to cuddle with at night." She continued to laugh until she noticed that not everyone was in such high spirits as she. "What the matter?" She asked. "Why such long faces? This is just the beginning of our glorious week of festivities. Why so gloomy?"

"We miss the twins." Ma Petit answered for everyone. Elsa suddenly didn't look too happy.

"Did they say anything before they took off about why they wanted to leave?" Jimmy asked.

"Maybe we should go search for them." Paul suggested.

Beth nodded in agreement. "They might be lost or-"

"No!" Elsa suddenly shouted. "Enough about the twins. I will have no more of this. We bring them in, give them a home, a family, and how do they repay us?" Her voice suddenly broke with a slight quiver. "By disappearing into the night. So, no more about the twins! Do you hear me?" Everyone was silent, not daring to defy Elsa. "Now, I demand that you start having fun this instant. Or I'll put one of you up against that wheel." She gestured to the spinning wheel that she had been practicing with earlier.

Everyone then looked worried that she'd actually do it, so they continued with the festivities.

* * *

That night, Beth and Paul were cuddling in the trailer listening to some jazz music on the radio. Beth hummed in content before saying, "You think we might need a bigger trailer?"

"It would be nice to have a little more room to sleep on." He admitted.

"I could ask Daddy if he knows anyone selling one big enough for us." She suggested.

Paul nodded and snuggled closer to her, doing his best to stay on the couch.

* * *

The next morning, Paul had told Beth that he needed to go to town for something, though he wouldn't tell her what. So, while he was away, Beth spent the morning cleaning out the tent the twins used to occupy. While folding up the cot, she found the bouquets she had made them underneath the mattress. This caused her to tear up slightly. She liked Bette and Dot. They seemed really happy here, so what reason would they have for running away? She was very worried about them. But all she could do was pray for their safety.

After the tent had been cleaned up, she went to help with lunch. After helping Suzi and Eve pass the plates, she sat with Ma Petit. Since she was going with Elsa as a personal hot water bottle, it was going to be hard for the place to function without her, since she was one of the star attractions. "What's your favorite flower?" She suddenly asked.

"Pink lotuses." Ma petit answered. "Why?"

"I'm trying to think of a new tattoo. And I wanted to put a little of my new family in them. And I want you really liked to represent you." Beth explained. The tiny woman smiled at that, liking the idea of being the inspiration for a tattoo.

As soon as lunch was over, Paul returned with a bag. He took her to the trailer and handed it to her with a smile on his face. She looked at him suspiciously before looking inside the bag and gasped in surprise. It was a bottle of her favorite perfume. "Paul." She breathed.

"I wanted to give you something special." He said. "Not just anyone could put up with me. You've stood by when I was at my worst, and I hope you'll be there when I'm at my best."

Beth chuckled. "It almost sounds like you're proposing, Paul." She said.

"Well, like you said a while back, we just started this relationship. We should definitely take it slow. When we both feel ready, then I'll ask you to marry me." He explained. Beth hugged him, loving just how sweet he could truly be.

* * *

That night, the show went off without a hitch. Beth went back to the trailer to change into something to sleep in while Paul stayed behind to talk to Jimmy about something he saw in town earlier that day. "Good show tonight." He commented.

"Yeah. The gate was a little lighter than usual." Jimmy added.

"People were coming to see those twins." Paul said.

"Nothing we can do about that now." Jimmy said as he folded up chairs.

"it doesn't bother you, the way they just wandered off?" The inked man asked.

"I guess they were never really happy here." Jimmy said.

"I ran into that weirdo at the drugstore. You know, that rich kid who bought the house out a few weeks ago?" Paul explained. "He was buying two of all these girly things. Makeup, brushes."

"What are you saying?" Lobster Boy asked.

"Well, think about it for a second. Elsa hated them from the minute they got here for taking her spotlight away. They go, and she's right back in it. That Hollywood guy wants her again-" Paul never got to finish his sentence since Jimmy suddenly smack him across the face.

"You shut your mouth!" He yelled. "Elsa has a dark heart, sure, but she saved every one of us, including me, you, and Bette and Dot."

After rubbing his cheek for a few seconds, Paul looked at Jimmy with an angry glare. "You know your problem? You can pass. When no one's pretending, all the bullshit and the noise just drops away. From your position, Elsa looks like our guardian angel. But from where I'm sitting, I see a jealous broad near the end of the line who'd kill anyone or anything that got in the way of her one last shot at it." And with that, he walked back to the trailer.

* * *

Everyone was suddenly woken up and made to go into the big top. Elsa had summoned everyone there and was not in a great mood. She had dumped all the gifts she had received earlier that day onto the picnic table in the middle of the room and was tearing down her birthday banner. When she heard everyone approaching, she turned around. "Oh! You ungrateful ingrates!" She shouted in a hoarse voice. "I rescue you from the squalor of your miserable existences, and this is how you repay me? Huh?"

Beth hooked her arm around Paul's and interlocked their fingers, fearing what Elsa would do and just wanting to feel safe in his embrace. "With accusations, disgusting rumors! Now, which one of you believes that I had anything to do with the disappearance of those girls? Huh? Speak up!" She screamed in Ethel's face. She then turned back to the whole group. "But you're not shy about gossiping behind my back, are you? Go ahead, say it!" She then shoved Jimmy. "Say it to my face!"

She saw Toulouse sitting on the picnic table and glared at him. "Toulouse, have you forgotten where I found you? Huh? Shackled to that chain gang, chipping away at rocks with that pathetic baby pickax? Huh? Have you forgotten who bribed the guard to let you out? Who?" She pushed him so hard that he lost his balance. Thankfully, he was able to catch himself before he could fall over.

"Elsa, you got it all wrong." Jimmy tried to reason.

But she turned her attention to Pepper and Salty. "You two." She whispered in a deadly tone. "Rotting away in that shit-smeared orphanage! Huh? Even your sister didn't want you anymore! Your family sent you away! You'd still be lying there in that urine-soaked mattress, starving, gnawing on rats if I hadn't pulled you into the spotlight." Poor Pepper was so scared of Elsa's rage that she turned around and curl herself into Salty's embrace, seeking safety and comfort.

Elsa then turned to the gifts she had dumped onto the table. "Look at these. Look at these!" She screamed as she started throwing them in every direction. "Trinkets! Shabbily made! Confectionaries!" She then picked up Beth's poster and ripped it into small pieces. "They're all meaningless! Meaningless! Meaningless!" Beth suddenly realized that Elsa's behavior was the same as her own mother's. Spoiled.

"You should be ashamed." Elsa whispered after she finished destroying the gifts. "After everything that I have done for you. Everything that I have sacrificed for us. For our family." She then let out a soft sob. "And I still have not won your trust."

"Elsa, calm down, please." Jimmy said. "Of course we trust you."

"Prove it to me!" She screamed.

"How?" Ethel asked. "Tell us a way. How can we convince you?"

Elsa looked around before turning and walking up to put her hands on the spinning wheel. "The wheel! Nobody leaves here until one of you is strapped in and proves to me your unadulterated trust and loyalty. I will settle for nothing less."

Everyone looked around, wondering who it would be. Jimmy stepped up and said, "I'll do it."

"No. Me." Paul suddenly said. "It should be me."

"No!" Elsa shouted. She then pointed next to him. "Beth. I want Beth on the wheel."

Paul knew that this was not just because Elsa was jealous of Beth. He knew that this was punishment for loving her. Elsa was punishing him for finding someone essentially better than herself. And she was going to make sure that he was punished greatly. Punish him by making him feel helpless in protecting her.

Beth looked from Elsa to the wheel, understanding what was at risk. But in this moment, she looked back at Elsa and refused to show her any fear. With a sigh, she replied, "Fine. Strap me in."

Eve helped make sure that the belts were secure. She kept giving Beth such apologetic looks and it broke the tattooed lady's heart. "I'll be fine, Eve." She whispered. The amazon gave a reassuring pat to Beth's shoulder before stepping to the side.

Elsa walked up to check the belts. She didn't want her target to have second thought and try to escape. She looked up at Beth and was surprised to see her staring back, looking smug as ever. "Is this because Paul chose me over you, Elsa?" There was a sudden shift in Elsa's gaze upon hearing that. And it wasn't a good one.

Elsa then picked up her knives and turned to the nervous troupe. "Ladies and gentlemen, prepare yourselves for the most death-defying scene. I takes but a split second for this knife to travel from my fingertips to the edge of the wheel. A split second that separates life from death. Spin the wheel, Eve."

Eve did as she was told, but she was thrilled to do it. As the wheel spun, Elsa aimed the first blade and threw it, embedding it in the wheel just inches from the left side of Beth's face. While everyone gasped at the close call, Beth just kept staring Elsa down, almost as if daring her to throw another knife. Elsa turned back to the troupe. "Now, you may think That this woman's destiny rests in Miss Elsa's hands, but fate is the true master of us all." She then threw another knife, this one landing between her legs, everyone gasped again, some even screamed and turned away. But Beth's expression never faltered.

"And yet," Elsa said to the troupe. "Fate is not unkind. The reversal of fortune can be swift. The pauper can be made king." She then turned back and saw the look on Beth's face. There was absolutely no fear. Well, she'd give her a reason to be afraid. She reared her arm back and launched the final blade, but it did not hit the wheel. It was embedded in Beth's abdomen. "Oh, God!" She screamed with a slight grin. "What have I done?!"

Beth knew something was wrong. Looking down at her stomach, she saw the knife sticking out of her like she was a Christmas ham. "Ah, shit. Not again." She groaned in a hoarse voice.

"Get her down!" Jimmy yelled as he ran to the wheel. "Get her down!"

Eve stopped the wheel and helped Jimmy unstrap her while Elsa continued her charade. "No, no! It was an accident."

Once she was unstrapped, Eve helped lower her to the ground. "Oh, God." Ethel mumbled as everyone approached.

Eve tried to grasp the knife, but Beth grabbed her wrist. "Eve, if you pull the knife out, I'll bleed out and die." She groaned. Paul was quick to get on his knees and help her lay her head on his lap.

"Someone, call a doctor!" Ethel screamed.

"I'll see to it." Elsa said in a worried tone.

Once Elsa left, Beth turned to Jimmy, "I want you to look in my sketch book. There's a business card hidden in the pages. It's Peter's personal number. Call him and tell him about what all happened. He needs to be here." Jimmy nodded and took off for Beth and Paul's trailer. She then turned to Ethel. "I don't trust her. Please go call the doctor, Ethel." The bearded lady nodded and did what was asked of her.

Eve gently carried the tattooed lady to her trailer and laid her on the couch. Within the hour, a doctor had arrived, much to Elsa's dismay. Ethel had found Elsa not calling a doctor, but rather stuffing her pipe with her stash and lighting it before walking out.

The doctor had successfully removed the knife and determined that Beth just needed to be patched up real quick. He left extra bandages so that they could be changed the next morning. Beth smiled, happy to know the damage to her wasn't made worse. Paul poured her a glass of whiskey and helped her drink it. "Slowly, love." He said gently. Once the drink had been swallowed, he let out a broken sigh. "It should have been me on the wheel." He sobbed.

"No." Beth whispered. Paul looked at her and listened carefully. "Elsa wanted to hurt both of us. I can feel something wrong, but I can't feel the pain. If you had been on the wheel, it would have killed me to see that knife in your gut." She then pulled Paul close and sighed. "Besides, now your chance to really treat me like a princess." Paul laughed slightly at that. "Go tell everyone that I'm fine."

Paul stepped out of the trailer just as a cab came up. Out stepped Penny, the candy striper. This slightly surprised everyone. Toulouse stepped up from his seat and ran up to her, needing a hug after all that had happened. "What happened out here?" She asked as she knelt down to his level.

"One of our own has been hurt." He explained.

Paul had explained everything to Penny then told everyone that the doctor gave Beth the all-clear. Everyone let outa sigh of relief, happy to know that their friend was going to be okay.

One by one, even in groups of two, everyone went inside to give Beth little bits of comfort. Salty and Pepper came in together. Salty had handed his stuffed bear to her, hoping it would make her feel better. She smiled and kissed its forehead.

Toulouse brought Penny in. Beth smiled and said, "Good to see you again, Sweets." She then told Toulouse she had known all along that he was leaving thecampto see a woman nearly every night.

Eve gave her a bottle of scotch, hoping it would help her in some way.

Suzi gave her a soft quilt, knowing it would keep her warm while Paul was busy doing other things.

Finally, Ethel had brought her a piece of cake. "Is that Elsa's birthday cake?" She asked with a grin.

"Figured you deserved the first slice." Ethel answered. "I'm sorry you went through all this, dear."

"I'm not. I honestly expected her to throw one of those knives into my throat." Beth said with a dry chuckle. "The way she spoke to Salty and Pepper..." Tears welled up in her eyes as she clutched Salty's bear tighter. "They're almost like children." She sniffled before looking at Ethel. "What she did, not just tome, but to everyone. She was very defensive for someone who did nothing to the twins."

"I know." Ethel breathed. "It ain't right. But I'll get to the bottom of this. For now, you have your cake. Might as well eat it to." She said with a slight grin. Beth gave a grin before taking a swipe at the icing and sticking her finger in her mouth.


End file.
